Yours for the Taking
by Arethusa Fellini
Summary: [AU] Hinata is a painter who lives with her cousin, Neji. Sasuke has more than enough money to last him three lifetimes. They acknowledge their attraction to each other. Yet what's stopping Hinata? SasuHina. NejiTen side story.
1. Part I

**Author's Introduction**

_Hi there! Welcome to **Yours for the Taking**, a Sasuke x Hinata story which, consequently, is the foundation for a six-part AU romance series I'm writing titled **One World**. _

_On updating: the schedule will be rather erratic so please don't press me for quick updates. Not to worry, I'm actually enjoying writing this that it's on my priority list (the list that contains to-do other than writing). _

_For more details on the **One World **series and a glimpse of the future parts, please check my profile. _

_Without further ado, I bring you…  
__

* * *

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_**Yours for the Taking**  
by Arethusa Fellini_

**Part I**

He absolutely hated this kind of party. But he had no choice. When you've reached the top of your game in your nature of business, you had to be _everywhere._ Then again, he could have elected not to attend this function but his secretary had cleared all his other appointments for the day, thinking that what he meant by 'wanting to relax' was by going here.

He could have made the most of the party and circulated but he didn't want to talk business. He had found out years ago that entrepreneurs were more interested in how he got rich—his rags-to-riches story—than any other topic when he was around. It must have slipped their notice that he _inherited _his starting money – not started from scratch. But that was to be expected because, as far as everyone knew, his family had left him zilch.

He moved his eyes disinterestedly over the mass of black gowns and black tuxedos and a few other splashes of colors until one woman wearing a silver sequined gown came to his attention. She leaned on a bare wall away from most of the crowds, with her hands lightly held on a glass of sherry that didn't seem to have been drunk. With her dress and her long midnight blue hair left loose, she looked like anything but a wallflower. He noticed that her eyes, unusually pale lavender orbs, seemed to be trained on a particular point on the far side of the room.

"Sasuke, my boy! How are you?"

The old man—the host of the party he recognized—voiced out the greeting and gave him a smack on the back, making him wince not out of pain but of him taking for granted their closeness – which was as close as Pluto was to the sun. He turned to face the host of the party and muttered a polite greeting in return (much to the delight of the old man). He moved his eyes back to the woman.

"Oh? Interested in her?"

Sasuke, who didn't think he was _that _obvious with his veiled observation looked back at the host with mild irritation.

The host smiled broadly. "An artist. Watercolor, I think, is her forte, though she usually commissions for oils and a little sculpting. Hinata Hyuuga is her name," he informed the young man with a wink.

Recognition entered his eyes at the mention of her surname.

"Yes, she's from _those_ Hyuugas. There's also her cousin over there with her," he pointed to a lithe man with straight brown hair (that reached well over his shoulders) who was currently surrounded by a couple of people that were laughing at something he was saying. "Neji Hyuuga. But six years ago those two disassociated themselves from the illustrious family. They're living together—still—if I remember correctly. Those gossip columnists had a field day with those two," he chuckled at the memory.

Sasuke concluded that _that _was where her eyes were trained on – on her… cousin. The old man's piece of past news hadn't sat well with him.

"So? So? Do you want an introduction or not?"

_Persistent senile bastard…_

-

She absolutely hated this type of party. But she had no choice; those who were willing to spend on painting commissions, upper class clientele to be more precise, usually partook on exactly this type of social function. She should be grateful she had access to most of the elite parties. No. She should be grateful to her cousin, Neji, for taking her to this kind of social function whenever he was given an invitation, plus one of course.

But that didn't mean that he brought her here just for the heck of it. She was here for a cause, well, two causes since one was to find potential clients. The other one was to look after her older cousin who—for all the superiority that he aired—couldn't hold his liquor very well. That, of course, wasn't the main problem but, according to the words of her cousin, "when you're at a place where refusing a drink is rude, it's bound to get exciting than usual when my mouth starts wagging from all that booze."

That hadn't been a problem before. He always got away with not drinking more than a glass of champagne or martini or whatever was being offered. He, a talented and, so far, the youngest editor-in-chief of a continuously-growing newspaper publishing company (50,000 copies in circulation everyday), could stand in a crowd and, with a few worded phrases, would successfully garner all their attention. His dark humor plus his devilish charm reduced people into a laughing mess, even if the topic was a public figure he was shredding to pieces. And did she mention how women seemed to flock around him for his feminine good looks?

The host of the party appeared beside her. Vaguely she heard him say, "Miss Hinata, may I introduce…"

She wasn't really listening but she gave out the pretense that she was, offering a courteous smile and a hand in the direction of where she thought the man (the one she was being introduced to) was. It hadn't registered in her mind that her hand had been taken but it had occurred to her that the host had already left. She moved her gaze back to her cousin, trying to watch his movements for any signs of intoxication.

She blinked. She wasn't really slow on the uptake at things but her preoccupancy failed to notice that there was a warm hand still latched on to _hers_. She looked up, her eyes focusing, and found herself the bearer of the brunt of hostile black eyes.

If she was still what she was when she was inside the prison called Hyuuga she'd be a stuttering mess before this man. "May I please have my hand back? I find that life is usually easier when I have two," she smiled sheepishly. She let out her breath as he let go of hers. Almost at once she turned her gaze back onto her cousin's as she let her hand fall limply to her side.

She was aware of a voice speaking beside her so she unconsciously smiled and nodded as if she was listening. She wished the stranger would leave. But that was just trivial matter so she shoved the thought to the back of her head, forgetting about the man beside her, forcing her attention back on the task at hand. So, it was to no surprise that she gave out a shocked—but subdued—yelp when her hand was yanked hard, making her swing around to face the instigator.

"You haven't heard a word I've said, have you?"

She immediately felt the rush of blood to her neck and face at the fair accusation. She was forced to look at the man in front of her properly and was (pleasantly) surprised by what she saw. He was… gorgeous, for lack of a better word. She was an _artist_, not a writer. But from what she had seen, she would enjoy painting him immensely. His eyes gave her the chills though. She mentally shook her forehead. This wasn't the time for admiring probable subjects!

"I must apologize Mister…?" She flushed as she broke off. She couldn't remember his name.

His face darkened as he understood her predicament. "Uchiha," he supplied exasperatedly. "Sasuke Uchiha. I seem to remember it was just a few moments ago that we were introduced. Obviously, you haven't noticed."

She decided to ignore the remark. Instead, she placed a smile on her lips. "What do you do, Mr. Uchiha?" She went for one of her usual tactics when conversing with rich people like him: make them talk about themselves. She found that they loved doing that. So, if he went for the usual monologue she would be able to watch her cousin uninterrupted while still keeping an appearance of listening.

"Why should I tell you? You don't give a damn what I do," he retorted bitingly.

She didn't. But he was breaking the rules of polite talk by saying it openly. She couldn't stop a feeling of apprehension when she met his brooding eyes with the whole of her attention. Okay, so this wasn't working. She gave in; though at the back of her mind she was wondering why this man found her so interesting. Oh, yeah, she was a _Hyuuga – _only in the legal sense but that didn't stop men from coming at her even with her average features.

"I'm sorry. I was a little… distracted." She plastered a smile onto her face as she looked him in the eye to tell him he had her attention. "So, what is it you do?" She made a play of sipping her sherry but beneath her thick lashes, her eyes turned towards the far side of the room.

He moved right in front of her, resting his hand on the wall beside her. "I understand you do paintings. What do you paint?"

Her lips compressed. She had the sudden suspicion that he had blocked her view and was copying her tactic of letting him talk about himself deliberately. With the satisfied little smirk she could see on his mouth she resigned to herself that his action was in fact deliberate. "Little green men," she tried for flippancy to hide her growing irritation.

"Hn. Quite the clever one, aren't we?"

She gave him a beaming smile. _Persistent, aren't we?_

From the corner of her eyes, she saw her cousin laugh with the people he was with. But then she watched in horror as Neji's hand grabbed a flute of champagne from a waitress passing by and tip its contents down his throat with one go; maybe he even swallowed it by one gulp.

"Much as I enjoyed the conversation—" _not really, _"—I have to take my leave, Mr. Uchiha." Without a backward glance she left. If she had looked behind her one last time she would have been alarmed at the scowl that had formed on his face.

As quickly as she could, she went to Neji's side to take _another_ glass he had taken from the waitress' tray. "Thank you, darling," she drawled, issuing the false gratitude with a smile as she gently pried it away from his hands. She took a small sip of the alcoholic drink while she entangled her arms with his.

"Keeping count, darling?"

"Of course, love."

Up close, Neji seemed to be far worse than she had thought, not that any of the people in the room noticed. She was after all, the closest person in the world to him. She tugged at his arm.

"My apologies to everyone. Cinderella has come to fetch me back to our castle. You see, I'm turning back to a rat in an hour."

There were many protests after that. Especially one catty woman with red hair that seemed to be washed out; she wished she didn't remember her name but it rang clearly on her mind: Tayuya. But she discreetly pushed Neji to the direction of the door.

"You know I'm not even drunk. Write me a chalk line and I'll pass it with flying colors!"

"I'm sure you will. I'll go get our cloaks."

"I need to go to the john."

"Oh… okay. Well, take your time," she advised worriedly as she noticed the sickly pallor on his face. She presumed he would be a few minutes there so she delayed getting their cloaks.

Left to her own devices for the time being, she couldn't feel but be conscious about being left alone. With nothing to watch over she felt absolutely out-of-place in such a posh environment, never mind that she had grown up in one. She and her cousin had left the comforts of this exact environment. It sickened her how she had to go to places like this one to earn a living. Warily, she walked out of the small corridor and into the main circulation of the party. She was partly relieved that the hostile, arrogant man from before was not in the vicinity.

"Hinata Hyuuga."

She stiffened and whipped her head to the direction of the man's voice. She let out the breath she was holding when she recognized that the man behind her wasn't the one she was avoiding. Henry Nakashima, she identified.

"Your cousin has a nasty tongue."

_Crap_. He must have been the unlucky target of Neji for tonight. "Oh," she laughed uneasily. "You shouldn't take what Neji says seriously."

"I could sue him for all of those things he said to me. He isn't by any chance drunk, is he?"

"No, he isn't. And about those, that won't be true Mr. Nakashima—"

"Henry," he intruded with a gleam in his eyes.

"—if that was the case, why would he bother with such an unbeneficial act from such an important person? If you really knew him, Mi—_Henry_," she corrected herself but inwardly she shuddered in disgust at the name. "He'd be milking you behind the scenes, not in front of the party."

That wasn't entirely true. Neji _was _drunk; a few more and he'd be out of it. But it was rather easy to smooth down the feathers of someone as simple-minded and self-absorbed as Henry Nakashima. A few veiled compliments and they'd be reading it as if she was toning the truth down when in reality she was _exaggerating _it.

"I suppose," he said with a trace of relief in his voice. Deeming the problem unworthy of his time anymore, he leaned over Hinata, getting too lose for comfort. "So I heard you are an artist, a… _sculptor_," he said with a smirk, the last word drawled out with sexual innuendo.

"Yes," she gave out a hollow laugh, thinking that _he _would think she was flattered he knew as much. The way he said it, that made her seem like she was some sort of easy woman, she decided to ignore entirely. Hinata stopped herself from scrunching up her nose from the smell of alcohol in his warm breath as he spoke close to her face. She mentally patted her own back as she even stopped herself from visibly recoiling in front of the disgusting man.

_Heaven help me from these rich bastards!_

"But that's only partly right. I'm more of a painter than a sculptor," she corrected him with a forced smile, leaning back on the wall behind her to relieve the space between them.

What she didn't expect was for Henry Nakashima to lean even closer to her, the lower half of his body lightly pressing against her (how she wished she was wearing a thick pair of jeans and not the thin silver gown she was wearing) as his lower arms rested on the patch of wall just beside her head.

"I could forget about filing a law suit if you make it worthwhile. You," he raised his arm to trail his forefinger on her bare arms, making her shiver in disgust. "Me. Alone," he said as his eyes gleamed lasciviously.

_Oh, God. He's back to that again. _

-

_Damn woman._

Sasuke took a large gulp of the scotch he was drinking, closing his eyes as he felt the liquid burn a trail down his throat. He had received his fare share of refusals during his lifetime – and that was when his older brother was still around. After that, it was as easy as raising a lazy hand to get what he wanted. But _her…_ she hadn't even batted an eyelash when she looked at him. _Hell_, she hadn't even noticed him! She infuriated him – completely. He was mad, but he wanted to know her all the more.

He stood up, the stool he was sitting on scraping on the marble floor. He walked towards the direction of the rest rooms. On his way, he couldn't help but notice _her _with some other guy. God, it hadn't even been half an hour since she left him standing there _fuming_. The guy seemed to be pretty cozy with her which just angered him more. He wasn't jealous now, was he?

_Damn these feelings. _

It was then that he noticed her hands were actually fending the guy _off_ and not inciting him to do more. Her face looked like she was at a loss at what to do.

_Tch. Let her suffer._

He walked away without giving them a second glance.

-

"You know, Neji will be back any second now," Hinata threatened through gritted teeth. She was holding on to the man's arms, more to stop him from his physical advances than from any actual need to touch. "And he wouldn't like it if he saw you in a compromising position with me."

"Don't care. I'm richer than him, or hasn't that thought gotten into you?"

Mentally, she vomited.

"Henry, right?"

She titled her head to the left at the sound of a man's voice – Sasuke Uchiha's voice she learned with a pang.

A look of irritation passed over Henry's face as he turned his head towards the intruder. "Yeah, so—Mr. Uchiha!" He recoiled away from Hinata.

"I was going to speak to Ms. Hyuuga here about a painting I wanted her to do."

"I see! Well, I was just going to the bar to fetch our—I mean _my _drink."

If she wasn't at such a classy place she would have stuck out her tongue at him childishly as he left at a hurried pace. Still, she couldn't ignore how Henry Nakashima had reacted at seeing this man. Just who was this guy?

"Yes, I'm richer than him," he answered the unspoken question written in her eyes.

She felt her face redden in embarrassment. She was unused to a man like him. Sasuke Uchiha was outspoken and direct to the point. It unnerved her.

She was more used to the ways of her cousin. Neji was into flippancy and mockery, hiding his real thoughts with his usual charm and wit. She had learned a thing or two from him, but mostly it was his confidence that rubbed onto her. But that didn't mean she was as good as him at wordplay.

"T-Thank you."

"Have dinner with me."

She gave out a surprised "What?—" followed by an immediate "—no."

"Do you have something going with your cousin?"

That question made her remember those nasty gossips that had been spread all over the city six years ago. She looked him in the eye through narrow eyes. "Of course… I don't think you've ever heard of it. It's called love." There she said it, and he could interpret it any way he wanted.

"Hinata…?"

She turned her gaze to her back, releasing a deep sigh as she saw Neji standing at the corridor. She stiffened though when she saw he was looking at the man beside her rather than at her. She compressed her lips. _Courtesy wins again!_

"Mr. Uchiha, this is my cousin, Neji Hyuuga. He's the editor-in-chief of the _Tribune_."

"Sasuke Uchiha – owner and president of UGC. Quite the catch there, Hinata," Neji spoke before Hinata could continue with the introductions, his voice teasing as he finished shaking hands with Sasuke—to which said person quirked a brow in her direction.

She blushed. _There goes my cover-up._

-

"The treatment's working," Neji said as soon as Hinata went out of the shower in her pajamas – a mix of oversized t-shirt and short shorts.

"Oh my god, Neji that's great!" She exclaimed as she ran towards her cousin, plopped down on the couch he was sitting on, and hugged him in relief. She was happy she couldn't feel nor see the stiffness that had been governing his body since this morning. Though she knew that a few weeks from now this was bound to happen again, she decided not to ponder too much about it.

"How was she?"

"Fine," he answered a little too casually as he sat up from the couch.

"So are we going to visit them?"

"No."

"What? Why!?"

"Easy there, 'cuz. I asked them to stay the week here. You do remember the elevators in their apartment are still being repaired. It would be too hard for Tenten to mobilize Lee that way."

"That's nice. But is that okay with you?" She asked softly. Lee and Tenten were his close friends since college. The reason why Neji was intent on getting drunk this night was to drown his apprehension on the treatment of his best friend, Lee, who had a high chance of getting a negative reaction according to his doctors. But that wasn't the only reason. The fact that Tenten would have been, by this time, exhausted and probably drained of life hurt him terribly – especially when he knew he couldn't show her how much he cared.

Those two had been with him even after graduation. Two years after that Lee had married Tenten. Lee had started his own school of martial arts as soon as he married her but two years ago, he was struck by a progressive illness, leaving him severely crippled. His wife had never left his side ever since. It was obvious how much Tenten adored him. She could safely say Tenten thought of Lee as her life.

Neji was in love with Tenten. Hinata felt it ironic that someone so self-possessed, so clever, so strong had fallen hopelessly in love with someone like her. Ever since Neji had blurted out to her, that one time he had gotten drunk, about his deep feelings for Tenten, she had closely watched the two. Sometimes, she thought that her cousin's confession had been a figment of her imagination. If it weren't for that stack of pictures of Tenten he kept hidden that told her he was really in love with her, she really would have thought it was all a dream. He kept his feelings hidden so well. But there were times, times like this one, that he would show how anguished he really was with the whole situation.

He truly cared for Lee, but it hurt him to see Tenten suffering from taking care of her husband. That was why, as much as he could, he helped the couple. She had lost count of the number of times she had seen her cousin look like he was being torn into pieces.

"Yes. You'll be here with me, right?"

She smiled at him. "Of course!"

"So what is this with Sasuke Uchiha, hmm? He seemed quite smitten with you."

"Neji!"

"What…?"

"If you wanted to change the subject so much there are always my paintings, you know! Besides, it's not as if I'd ever see him again."

He laughed, though Hinata wasn't deceived by the seemingly relaxed voice. "I have an early appointment with the pack of wolves tomorrow, so goodnight love."

"G'night," she echoed as she watched him go out of her apartment. Dimly, she heard him go up to his own floor.

-

She really shouldn't have spoken too soon about not seeing Sasuke Uchiha again because, contrary to her expectations, he was here – now. Right in front of her apartment, at her door, holding her door handle hostage.

Why had he come? Surely not to see her? Was she surprised? She was more than surprised. She was stupefied.

"H-H-how'd you get my address?" See? Stupefied.

"It's nice to know you remember me."

"Well—of course." She mentally smacked her forehead. She shouldn't have said that. She shouldn't have let him know that she found him quite interesting after some thinking last night, even if all her attention was constantly swinging between Neji and the glass he was holding.

He raised a brow at her words. "You surprise me," he drawled. "I got the impression you didn't even notice me last night."

She ignored the remark. "What do you want, Mr. Uchiha?" She immediately saw the glint in his eyes so she forestalled him. "No, don't answer that."

"Not quite confident, are we?"

Truthfully, yes. But she wasn't about to let him know that. More so the fact that Neji wasn't here and that she was all alone. "I'd like to call it please-don't-take-it-as-encouragement tactic," she answered with a forced smile.

"I mean to have you, Hinata," he said as his face took on a serious look.

How could she have forgotten the fact that he was a jerk?

"Sorry, not for sale. Not a free toy either," she said as she gave him a huge grin. God, her jaw was killing her from all the smiling she was doing.

"Take me seriously," he said in a warning note.

She was starting to feel uneasy with the situation. She was out of her league in this sort of thing. Never in her life had she been proposed to in such a short time, and with such intensity. Her average looks didn't grant her that kind of attention. She had her share, but they were all gold-diggers. So, she decided to bail out. "I'm sorry, Mr. Uchiha, but you'll have to leave."

She watched as his lips thinned into a compressed line. She could feel the sparks of anger his gaze threw her. She badly wished he would stop with the 'evil look' already.

"Walk me to your gate."

She was about to protest but she thought it was the least she could do for him. Taking a deep breath, she went past him as she walked down the stone path of the house's garden. She turned towards him when she had opened her gate. "Good—!"

He had bent his head and taken her mouth violently, surprising her lips into parting for him. He took advantage of her open mouth, entering her with an act of dominance. He raised both his hands to the sides of her neck to hold her close to him.

Her heart was beating so fast she wondered why he couldn't hear it. Her blood seemed to roar in her ears as she lost all sense of what she was doing. She felt so warm. Hesitantly, she raised her own hands to him, her lips moving of their own accord to kiss him back.

Her own action seemed to trigger her to push him away with all her might – which was exactly what she did.

He gazed at her silently, his eyes holding a violent storm of emotions. Without further word, he turned around and walked away, his heavy footsteps resounding on the concrete walk.

She stared after him, a hand to her throbbing mouth, as warmth slowly crept out of her head – making it tingle in heated response. The last thing she remembered was darkness creeping at the corner of her eyes.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **This fiction is written for entertainment purposes only, thus, the authoress will not be profiting from this. Naruto and its characters are owned by Masashi Kishomoto. 

_Credits go to Shiranui the Brave for doing a wonderful job in proofreading this chapter._


	2. Part II

**Part II **

"Hey there, you okay?"

"Tenten?" Hinata, upon recognizing the melodic voice of Neji's close friend, opened her eyes, only to close the pair immediately against the harsh fluorescent light that filtered through her lids, her hands clamping over her head for good measure. Her voice came out groggy so she assumed that she had been out for sometime. She couldn't remember what happened up until that moment but she was sure she fainted because her head was already pounding – and she wasn't even up yet.

"Um, no… is that the name of a panda?"

She stiffened and opened her eyes, risking a glance at the person beside her. She rapidly blinked her eyes to drive out the blur she was seeing and was faced with a woman—no—a girl with carrot-colored _twin_ mops of hair tied almost at the ends and was astonishingly standing up all on its own.

"Who… who are you?" She asked as she slowly sat up, noticing that she was on a bed and not on a couch as she had first thought. She glanced around the room. Her artistic eye couldn't help but be impressed with the surrounding elegance of cream and olive green; subdued, but making it all the more stately.

"Oh, me?—a very close friend of a close friend of a close friend of Sasuke!"

"Sasuke… Uchiha?"

"Well yeah, whose house do you think this is?"

"I—I honestly had no idea," she answered and then murmured a "thanks" when she had the glass between her hands. Giving the room the 'once over' again, she should have been able to assume that this was a guy's house since the room was distinctively masculine. She took a sip of the lukewarm water.

"Eh? Don't tell me he took you here by force?!"

She choked on the glass of water she was drinking the moment she heard the girl's outburst, who had also taken to leaning down at her with wide, incredulous eyes. She coughed a couple of times as her body involuntarily tried to cough out the water that had entered her windpipe by accident. "I…" she heaved—only to cough more, making the girl beside her pat her back. "I don't think Mr. Uchiha would do that. I mean, you're here aren't you?" She mused as she finally got her breath.

The girl's eyebrows rose up at her calling the owner of the house as 'Mr. Uchiha'. "I guess…?"

Hinata bit her lip. The sound of electric and bass guitars, drums, cymbals and a female's voice suddenly blared inside the quiet room, startling her into sitting up stiffly.

"_This heart, it beats… beats for only you. My heart… is yours…" _

"Oops, that would be my very close friend I was talking about," the girl informed as she stood up and grabbed a pink flip phone (that was madly blinking rainbow-colored lights) on top of the end table beside the bed.

"Hello?"

"_Moegi!" _

"Hi, sweetie," she greeted in an equally saccharine voice, her eyes catching Hinata's and giving her a wink.

"_Don't call me that! Geez… get out of that house now! My car's outside!" _

"Well that's just it Konohamaru, I can't—"

"_What do you mean you can't?!" _

"—_at least, _not until Sasuke gets back here," she forced the words out of her mouth, trying to drown out Konohamaru's voice by continuing what she was saying at a louder volume.

"No need."

Moegi wrinkled her nose, her gaze going to the man leaning on the doorframe of the room. "Never mind what I said, I'm going out now. Bye!" Without bothering to wait for a reply, she flipped her phone closed and stood up. "Well, looks like my job here is done!"

Walking towards Sasuke, she muttered a "you owe me one". Finally outside the door, she turned back, faced the room, and raised a hand. "Bye, Hinata!"

Two pairs of surprised eyes stared at her, one pale and one dark.

"Oh," Moegi gave a laugh then looked directly at Hinata. "Hanabi—your sister—is my classmate. I recognized you from the family albums she showed me."

"I see."

Outside, a car's horns blared impatiently.

"Heh, that'd be my cue to leave," she said with a smile as she jogged away.

Silence came upon the room after Moegi's departure. In the distance, they heard the muted sound of a car zooming out into the distance.

Hinata could feel Sasuke's stare bearing down on her, even if she wasn't looking straight at him. She couldn't look, at least not yet. She was willing her mind to think of something to say or do.

"You must be hungry."

"What time is it?" _Famished—wait, how long have I passed out? _

"Half past two," he answered casually.

_Oh, god. Neji! _

At her horrified look he explained, "I called but no one was picking up your phone."

That got her relieved—until what he said sunk in to her still muddled thoughts. She looked at him suspiciously. "We have an unlisted phone number."

"I have my ways," he answered with a nonchalant shrug. "You want to eat or not? I haven't had lunch myself," he inquired with a raised brow.

"You waited for me. How chivalrous of you," she said as she felt her hair bristle.

"I won't bother asking if you're okay now since you seem to have gotten your tongue back." He crossed his arms in front of him.

No, it was protection, a defense mechanism against the evils of the world – men in particular. Okay, so she was exaggerating that particular evil. She was by no means a man-hater, but her past experiences had led her to be extremely wary of them.

When she kept silent Sasuke gave out an exasperated sigh. "Follow me if you want to eat," he said as he turned around and walked away.

Her eyes followed him. Her gaze left him as he made a left turn and went back to the bedroom she was currently in, looking for a bathroom. She tried the only door and to her relief, it was a bathroom. She immediately ran for the wall mirror. She grimaced at her face. She always looked pale but today she looked even paler. Her eyes had a redness that made her look like she was high on drugs. And her hair was a mess! She groaned and put a hand to her hair as she looked around for a brush, heaving a loud sigh as she sighted one among other toiletries inside the drawer of the bathroom counter.

A few minutes later, she deemed herself human. She had taken the left turn, same as Sasuke had done and was now walking the small hallway, wary of getting lost. She caught sight of the stairs after a couple of steps, much to her surprise. Judging from the layout of the house that she had passed, the house wasn't that big. She thought he'd be living in a mansion.

Finally downstairs, she caught a waft of food. It smelled delicious. Her stomach's growling seemed to be in full agreement. She decided to follow the smell. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared in amazement at a seemingly domesticated Sasuke who was currently putting down a bowl of salad on the oval dinner table. He seemed so self-assured, reigning over the table like that.

"Sit," he suddenly said, though his back was turned to her.

"Ah—thank you," she couldn't pretend to _not _be there when he had obviously seen her hovering on the open doorway. He had already sat on one of the seats but to her dismay, she found out that he had laid out another set not in front of him but to his left. Swallowing down her nervousness, she took a seat beside him, her eyes avoiding his.

In those first few minutes as they ate, they exchanged polite conversation. It was stiff but at least it was better than silence. She didn't know when it took a turn for the better but it did. Maybe it was the food. _Yes, dear. Blame the food. _

One thought struck her. She had no idea why she hadn't asked this since she got here.

"How'd I get here?"

He had the audacity to smirk. "You were lucky I turned the car around instead of taking the long cut I first decided on."

_Lucky? _She felt her eyes twitch as her mouth froze in goofy repose. Once again she had forgotten what an arrogant jerk he was.

"You left your door open but I couldn't just leave you alone so I brought you here. I had to go to a brunch meeting so I called Moegi to babysit you."

"Oh," for a second there she thought that he had left her because she was being a burden. Maybe he was just a semi-jerk. "I'm curious to know how you've become associated with a girl like Moegi."

"I'm not."

"Oh…"

"She's the girlfriend of my best friend's friend," he informed as he leaned back on the dining chair, his hands moving the glass so that its contents swirled about its teardrop shape.

"_Oh, me?—a very close friend of a close friend of a close friend of Sasuke!" _

Disbelief marred her delicate features, her glass hovering midair in suspension.

His brows knitted as his voice rose defensively. "What?"

"I… I never imagined you to actually need someone to depend on."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean? And who's saying I need to depend on him, anyway?"

_Warning: gloomy person. Three o'clock._

She smiled though, because this was the first time she had seen him not act like a violent boor or a cold arrogant jerk. She actually found his childish display quite adorable. The first time she had spoken to him they had been at each other's throats (in a well-mannered sort of way). But now she actually found him amenable—more than that if she was willing to admit it.

"You really think ill of me. Why?" He didn't really want to ask since he didn't want the smile that was playing on her mouth to disappear. This was the first time she had smiled for him sincerely. He heard her laugh at what he had said and decided he liked the sound.

"Seriously, you have no idea?"

He looked at her pale lavender eyes for the next few seconds. "So I _did _dig my own grave."

"About twelve feet down," she supplied as her smile widened.

He grunted as his head bent down to take a morsel of food he had prepared on his fork.

A ghost of a smile still skirted her mouth as she too took to eating her meal. A comfortable silence issued between them.

"The things I've said, they still hold true," he said with a straight face though the trace of seriousness could be heard on his tone.

She stiffened. She really didn't want to get into that. She decided to ignore it.

"So what's your best friend's name?" She inquired as her overactive imagination thought of a cowering person with black hair, a large hump on his back, and really bad looks that did everything he could to do Sasuke's bidding – a slave in the purest of sense. That wasn't so hard to imagine at all.

"Na-Naruto? Naruto Uzumaki?!" She exclaimed, her breath catching as he told her the first name of his best friend.

"Hmm…? Yes. You know him?" He asked casually and thought none of it—Naruto was well-known after naming his big gaming company, who catered for the young generation, _S&M_, that idiot.

"Oh… well… I've done a mural for him," she answered uneasily.

His brows shot up in surprise. "That two-floor abstract work on his office entrance?"

Hinata blushed, but she was a little relieved he didn't notice her uneasiness. "Ah—y-yes…"

"I'd never have associated that work with you. I've seen some of your commissioned paintings – they're nothing like it."

She blushed, she was a little shy of that particular work of hers, because it represented her and it was completely her style, done because she wanted it to happen and not because she was commissioned to do it. "Well, I guess it's because that type of artwork isn't really appreciated by most socialites. They would rather have one that boasts their assets, like the grandeur of their own house, their landscape, or a painted portrait of a well-known family member," she said wistfully, sadness echoing in her voice.

"I was impressed the first time I saw it. Why haven't you done something like that anymore?"

She stared at him, once again in disbelief at his words, but she could see that he was saying it truthfully. "L-Like I said… those types of artwork don't really get money into my bank account. Besides, I'm not really that well-known."

"So?" Sasuke questioned, his face showing his more-than-mild curiosity, more so when Hinata blushed. He laid his elbow on the table and rested his chin on the back of his hand to gaze at her lazily, eyes slightly drooped.

Her instinct was to lean back to widen the gap of their heads since Sasuke had leaned closer to her.

"Hn." The corner of his mouth titled upwards slightly. He raised a hand towards the side of her neck, her eyes closing as his fingertips trailed a path to entangle onto her hair and her ears, his thumbs ending up just beneath where her earlobe met with her neck, caressing the sensitive skin there.

She relaxed at the soothing movement of his fingers, the skin beneath it tingling in pleasure. Suddenly afraid of what he was capable of doing with her eyes closed, she opened them, focusing on his eyes and mouth crinkled in silent amusement. Heat crept up her neck.

"What are you afraid of?"

Hinata had no answer to that. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. It was like the depthless black eyes of him were luring her in, mesmerizing her as her eyes slowly, slowly closed to receive his kiss. _Breathe, Hinata. Breathe!_

"I heard from Neji that you have a very lovely office building!" She threw the words with haste as she forced her eyes open. Her heart was pounding so fast against her ribs…and he hadn't even kissed her yet!

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at her as he paused a few inches in front of her. "It is. They finished restoring the former museum two months ago. You should see it."

"I'd like to," she agreed without thinking since her most pressing thought was that she was able to stop his kiss.

"When?" he suddenly asked, and she leaned back to look at him in surprise, more so when she could see in his eyes that he was serious about it. "I thought you wanted to see it?"

"W-well yes…" she answered hesitantly as she tried to pry free the hand that was still holding her neck.

"When? I could tour you around on Monday," he asked in a pressing tone as he let her take off his hand.

Her breath caught in her throat as he continued to pin her down to a promise to see him again. He was asking her to commit to a relationship – a relationship she had no thought of starting.

"I… I can't. I have to go to a client's house," she lied. Well, partly lied since she was going to stay at Neji's apartment to help him take care of Lee and Tenten, but mostly Tenten. Neji had even prepared to go to work at nights. She just didn't want him to know she was at a place where he could easily find her.

His eyes narrowed again, his face etching into harsh lines. "Tuesday, then."

"I… I don't know. I'll let you know," she excused weakly.

He was about to say something, but his mouth clamped shut, only to open again and tell her that they were moving to the living room.

"No, um, I think I should leave," she said hesitantly as she stopped her hand from putting it on top of his offered hand.

Icy eyes shot her an angered look as he let his arm fall to his side. "Fine," he said thru gritted teeth. He slid his hands into the pocket of his pants. "Moegi took off your jacket while you were unconscious. It's in the living room," he said as he turned around and walked away.

She looked down. Indeed she was only wearing a sleeveless top, remembering that she had hastily unhooked the jacket hanging on the wall at the side of her door to accompany him out of her apartment. She took a deep breath and slowly stood up. Meekly, she followed him. She saw him take a right at an open archway so she hastened her steps. But when she got there, she stopped at the archway since she already saw that it was the living room. With her hand at the wooden archway, she watched him warily as he picked up her jacket from the cream-colored sofa. She watched him turn to the archway and with dark, intent eyes, raised his hand, holding the jacket in offering.

She gulped. He hadn't moved an inch and he was obviously waiting for her to get the jacket from him. Her hands clenched tightly on the wooden paneling. Nervousness settled in her stomach as she took shallow gulps of air. She wasn't stupid. She knew what was going to happen if she went there and snatch it from his hands. She sighed exasperatedly, her expression echoing that she was not in the mood to play his game. "Sasuke…"

He sat down on the sofa, putting the jacket slowly at his side then resting his hand at the back of the sofa, his eyes taunting.

Her lips pressed tightly together. Well, he was in for a treat. She hadn't been a friend of Lee's for nothing. Before he was struck down with the disease, he had taught her self- defense. She was going to give him a good beating if he tried anything. She looked the part, but she wasn't fragile goods. She willed her feet to move. A few moments later she was walking—no—stomping her way towards the _lecherous _man.

A foot away from her objective, she stopped. She looked at him nervously. Saying something was so much easier than taking action that she was about ready to take a one-hundred-and-eighty degree turn. But then she saw one side of his mouth tilt upwards.

_Damn smirk of his! _

She bent down and snatched the jacket, her pounding heart murmuring in her ears as she faced the consequences of her action. And then…

…Nothing.

She blinked twice as she straightened, her hands loosening their hold on the jacket she had just snatched quite successfully. Her jaw dropped. He wasn't even looking at her!

_Oh. My. God! _

Her eyes widened as she looked down on the floor in shame. She was _not _feeling disappointed. She wasn't!

_Absolutely not! Wash. Rinse. Dry. Repeat!_

_ABSOLUTELY NOT! _

There. She felt so much better. She did the one-eighty-degree turn that she should have done awhile ago. She was so leaving him!

"Feeling disappointed, darling?"

Her heart stopped at his words and at his endearment. She accidentally let go of the jacket she was still holding, said item dropping to the ground with a 'thump'. She didn't think her jacket was that heavy that she was about to check on it, but all thoughts fled as she felt his breath go through her hair and onto the sensitive skin of her nape. She stopped breathing when she felt his hand slide from her arm to her bare shoulders then turned her around. She had lost her balance during the process, making her cling to him when he had her facing him.

"Don't bother to deny it," he said as he brought a thumb to caress her lower lip, making her eyes glaze.

She didn't. She wouldn't. Not when she was faced with the reaction she had gotten out of herself when she found that he wasn't going to make a pass at her. She was shocked and shaken, to say the least. Just like that, he had made her realize how she felt for him.

She gazed at him blindly, waiting, her pale lavender eyes fixed on his hard sensual mouth. When his mouth pressed against hers, she closed her eyes, her hands snaking from his chest to the sides of his neck and ended up around it, her fingers threading through his spiky, jet black hair. She couldn't stop a pleasurable sigh when she felt his lips move appreciatively over her own.

He pushed her against the cushions of the sofa, his knees trapping her in between, his hands immediately lowering down her midriff and moved the offending layer of clothing out of the way as her skin shivered in response – and it wasn't because of the cold air her skin was exposed to. She felt like she was trapped in a trance as his mouth and hands became more insistent, hers becoming even more pliant. His sexily voiced "I want you" was whispered through her mouth as his hand caressed the underside of her breast, the other arching her neck closer to him as he kissed the angle of her jaw.

By this time, her top was already scrunched up on a heap on top of her head and his mouth was trailing a fiery path down from her neck, to the valley between her breasts, to her flat stomach. She arched her back in heated response when he dug his tongue into her navel, sending sparks of delight down to her very core. Her whole body felt like it was on fire; she was so _aroused _her whole body was tingling wherever he touched her.

The sudden blaring of a polyphonic tone echoed inside the silent room. She immediately opened her eyes when she heard the familiar ring tone of her own mobile phone, though she was still a little disoriented. Sasuke had also stilled upon hearing the phone ring. His eyes narrowed on her as she looked to her side and down to the discarded jacket. He followed her gaze and found one of the pockets of the jacket light up in beat with the sound.

His hands tightened around her. "Don't answer it."

His words were like a douse of cold water, her resolve from minutes ago crashing down with a force into her muddled brain, making her look dreadfully at him. She pushed against his chest, blushing when her hand met naked solid skin. She eyed him with silent determination and was not surprised to see that he had gotten pretty angry. She guessed he already knew what she was going to do. "I'm sorry."

He got off of her so suddenly that a draft of cold air settled on her still sensitive skin, making the hairs on her body stand up. She suddenly missed the warmth of his body. She shook her head to get rid of the delectable thoughts. She grabbed her top and quickly put it over her head as she blindly dove for the phone.

Her heart jumped in her throat when she checked the name on the screen. Neji never called her during daytime. That meant… she hastily pressed on the call button.

"_Hinata, it's Lee," _he said without preamble, his voice covered with grief.

She paled.

"_You've got to come home. Tenten's in a state of collapsing and I… I can't do a thing," _

"Oh Neji, is he…" she paused, unable to ask. "Please don't tell me it's over?"

"_Tenten, she needs you. I can't bear to see her." _

"I'll be right there," she said gravely, knowing how slim his control was over the girl if he was ever left alone with her. She pressed the end button and looked up. Sasuke was sitting on the sofa, his shirt already back and his head hung low with a glass of whisky on his hand. "I-I have to go."

"I know," he said gruffly. "I'll drive you."

"I'll take a taxi. You don't—"

"Hinata," he said in a tired voice. "Let's not argue about this."

She didn't speak anymore. She followed him silently into his garage.

Traffic was amazingly very light that afternoon but she hadn't noticed. So, she was surprised with his "we're here" when she thought that the time he would speak to her again was to ask directions to her home. Then again, he _was _here this morning.

She turned her body, looking at his hard profile. "Goodbye," she said as her eyes dimmed. She jerked the door open and closed it behind her. Without daring to look back, she ran up the steps to her gate and opened it. Neji was opening her front door when the car roared out. She laughed a hollow laugh.

She was never going to see him again.

She gave her cousin a hug as she arrived at the door and she noticed that he was shaken. This was obviously a hard blow to him.

"Where is she?"

"In the living room. I'm sorry I used your apartment but…"

"No, it's fine. You don't need to explain. Go to the kitchen and make yourself a cup of coffee. You need it."

He nodded, though she was doubtful if he even heard her. She padded her way to the living room.

Tenten was sitting on her bare window sill, looking out unseeingly at the garden outside. Hesitantly, she called out her name, slowly walking her way towards her because she was afraid to frighten her.

"Hinata!" Tenten launched herself at her, her face burying at her chest, clinging to her.

_She's so stiff. _Hinata realized Tenten hadn't shed any tears yet since… since Lee's passing away. Neji must have avoided being alone with her very badly. She bit her lip, her hands going to her friend's hair and back in a soothing motion.

"It happened so fast. We were just going here and he didn't even wake up when I told him we had to get out of the taxi. It was supposed to be just routine work! I'd have died with him if Neji wasn't there!" She cried out in anger. After that outburst, it was as if a dam had been broken inside of her that immediately after, she hiccupped. And the tears came gushing out after that.

Hinata whispered words of comfort in her ears, though there was also a break in her voice because she too felt grief at what had happened. She looked outside, surprised that it was already dark. Tenten's sobbing was already waning down but she noticed that she seemed exhausted and drained of life.

"Tenten, you have to drink something. I'll go get you a glass of water, okay?"

Tenten nodded meekly as she wiped a sleeve on her tear-drenched face.

Hinata stood up and ran for the kitchen, only to stop when she found her cousin stacking a couple of her oatmeal boxes into a pyramid. "Hey…" she called softly, going over to where he was and giving him a kiss on his temple.

"I couldn't help her."

"Neji no—"

"I'm a coward."

"Neji listen to me, you—"

"I have to get back to the office," he said harshly as he stood up, his action moving the table, making the pyramid of boxes tumble down onto its surface – the others dropping to the floor unheeded.

Her eyes closed in despair as her cousin left, suddenly feeling very tired. Walking slowly towards the kitchen counter, she raised the tap and filled the glass with water. At the side of the sink, she noticed a clear plastic with white tablets in it and a paper saying 'Tenten – sleeping pill – tonight'. She brought it with her to the living room and gave it to Tenten, saying it was going to calm her nerves. She guided Tenten into her bedroom to let her sleep her worries away.

At eleven o'clock that night, Neji let himself into her apartment using her spare key. She kept her eyes closed, pretending to be sleeping on the couch as he went to her bedroom. She stood up and went to the kitchen to make hot cocoa.

When she got to her room with a tray in hand, she stopped. Neji was sound asleep on the recliner she had moved beside the bed to keep watch of Tenten, his hand loosely holding her little finger.

Softly, she closed the door.

* * *

**Author's Little Corner **

_Moegi's ring tone is a line from Paramore's **My Heart**._

**Disclaimer: **This fiction is written for entertainment purposes only, thus, the authoress will not be profiting from this. Naruto and its characters are owned by Masashi Kishomoto.

_Credits to Shiranui the Brave for proofreading this chapter._


	3. Part III

**Part III **

Three-quarters of a year had gone since Lee had passed away, leaving a disparaging Tenten to fend for herself. At least, that was how Hinata thought she would be if that ever happened to her. But since the very first moment of meeting the brunette, she had shown much strength, both physically and mentally. And she still did up to now. Although she was obviously still hurting inside, she always looked forward and never back, because that was what Lee had taught her (though his expression was more in the effect of enjoying the 'Springtime of Youth!').

"I can't wait to go home!"

Hinata smiled. She was glad Tenten was thinking of her place as home once again. Nine months ago, she would have said that she didn't belong anywhere since Lee was gone. "Too bad they don't have a direct flight home. Interconnecting flights are such a pain to ride," she said as she hoisted her purple backpack and placed it on the airport bench. She leaned back onto the upholstered bench, resting her head on the backrest to stare at the glass-paned ceiling of the small international airport.

The last eight months had been spent on the Land of Grass where Maito Gai (Gai-_sifu _to Lee, Tenten and, at one point, Neji) resided to teach Southern-style martial arts. He had been to the funeral, devastated even though he had known full-well of Lee's condition ever since he was diagnosed. But for this kind of thing no one could ever be ready, no matter how much one conditioned oneself. He had offered Tenten a place to convalesce, away from the chaotic Konoha metropolis.

At first, Tenten refused but her cousin was adamant about her accepting the invitation. "You need the break. The air over there will be very good for you. You owe this to yourself,"were his exact words when the four of them sat at a nearby restaurant from Tenten's apartment complex. Even Neji and Tenten's relationship would benefit from the away-time they were going to get.

She was remembering how Tenten was still a little unsure of accepting the invitation that she presented herself as a companion if her friend had misgivings about going alone. She needed to get away from the city, anyway—away from temptation. Call her selfish but she very much wanted to keep her sanity intact.

Nine months. She hadn't seen him for nine months. It was no surprise to her how he still governed her thoughts after all the time that had passed. Each time she had nothing viable to focus on, her mind seemed to drift back to the brief (but intense) meetings they had. And thoughts such as 'how is he?', 'what's he doing now?', or 'does he still think of me?' usually presided over anything else.

"Thinking about him?"

Her eyes widened guiltily, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. "NO!" She denied vehemently as her body stood up rigidly from its relaxed position. She reddened even more as everyone at shouting distance looked at her as if she was a delinquent.

The woman beside her smothered a laugh. "So you _were _thinking about him!"

"I wasn't," Hinata hissed as she shoved her bag to the side and plopped down on the bench disconcertedly. "Wait. _Who_ are we talking about?!"

Tenten gave her a surprised look. "Who else?—"

_She knows? How did she— _

"—Neji."

Hinata blinked as her mouth opened wordlessly in an unsuccessful attempt to say "What?!" When she was able to find her voice it was a raspy, "You… you're kidding, right?"

Tenten blinked. "Not really."

"That's crazy! You're—" To her, the idea was so ludicrous that she almost blurted out the truth. If it wasn't for the airport's announcement drowning out her voice about the boarding for their flight, she would have done so already. She vowed to herself that she must remember to propose to her cousin about working in show business. With his looks and his acting skills, anything could be possible! "W-We should go."

"Well, then who were you thinking about?" Tenten persisted when they queued up at the gate. They were at the end of the line.

"What made you think Neji and I are together?" Hinata countered with a quirked brow.

Tenten arched a brow in return. "You live together. Neji had no qualms about cohabiting with you when both of you left your family," she answered matter-of-factly.

It was true Hinata and her cousin lived in a leased house, but they divided it into two independent apartments: hers downstairs while her cousin's was the second floor. But it was more out of privacy than propriety. And the only reason Neji took over the second floor was because he didn't want to do the laundry!

"And you guys are like _this_!" Tenten continued as she raised her pinky finger in front of her friend and crooked it meaningfully a couple of times.

Hinata laughed but her brows were knitted in confusion. "What's _that _supposed to mean?"

"I'm saying Neji's a really good catch, I can see he loves you very much, and I'm wondering why you guys aren't married yet. Neji barely looks at any other woman when you're around!"

_That's because when you're around… I'm around! _And, it was at the tip of her tongue to tell her Neji didn't need any catching if it came to Tenten. He'd willingly take the bait offered. "Well you're wrong. Don't get me wrong. I love Neji immensely. But he's more like a brother to me than anything else. How about _you, _then? You're the one who thinks he's such a good catch!" She teased. Inwardly, she was eager for her friend's answer and waited for it with bated breath.

"M-me?!" She was blushing, making Hinata's heart beat hardly against her ribs in pleasant surprise, only to drop down in sadness on her next words. "No way! Lee is… Lee is the only one that I'll love. And I won't ever betray the love we shared! In fact, I'm going to continue the other love of his life," she told her as her face grew serious. "Hinata, I'm planning to reopen Lee's school."

Her eyes went round. Lee's school wasn't established in Konoha. How was Neji going to take this? "Really?"

"Yes. With the money Lee earned from the legendary stunts he did plus those we saved from the school I could live the life of a lady of leisure for the rest of my life!—Provided I don't buy an expensive car, or an expensive house, or a chest of jewelries," she explained sheepishly, earning a small chuckle from Hinata. "But I don't want to live like that. I _have _to have something to look forward to," she said seriously, but Hinata was able to catch a hint of desperation in her voice.

Hinata took some time to absorb what she had said. She could only guess at what her friend was feeling at that moment. Was she sad? Was she really feeling lonely even when she was with her or with Neji almost all the time? Was she feeling pain? But she couldn't voice any of those so instead, she asked, "What did Neji say?"

There was a moment of silence before she answered. "I… haven't come to talking to him. It's a rather recent decision."

By this time, they were already in front of the line, the attendants making quick work of their passports, tickets and boarding passes. They walked out of the building and faced the harsh sunlight. Unlike the bigger and more central international airport they were headed to, this one was too small to have the planes connect itself to the building by tube so they had to walk to the plane where it was parked.

"So…"

Hinata turned her head, focusing her eyes on Tenten's warm brown ones. She almost missed Tenten's spoken words because of the noise the jet engines were generating.

"There's nothing going on between you guys?"

"None." How could Tenten be so blind? Nobody was perfect, not even her seemingly perfect cousin. He had slip-ups, she thought as she remembered Neji's ashen face when Lee had forced him to give Tenten a congratulatory kiss on the couple's first anniversary party.

Tenten looked discomfited. "I'm sorry. It's just that… you guys have been through a lot. I'd like to think Neji has someone to fall back to whenever he needs one, same with you," she explained as her eyes trained away from her, looking out but obviously unfocused on the scenery.

Tenten, including Lee, was one of the very few people who knew about the hardships the two cousins went through when they left the Hyuugas—how the two had a hard time getting a job in the metropolis due to her father's influence; how Neji was forced to study abroad because the universities and colleges weren't accepting him as an entrant. It was a stroke of luck her father never bothered to blacklist art schools since he might have thought that she was finishing the business administration degree she was enrolled in.

Tenten was so lost in her own little world that Hinata was unwilling to disturb her any further. She grabbed the railings of the stairs leading to the plane.

-

Sasuke Uchiha hissed in shock when ice-cold liquid met his sensitive abdomen, making his stomach contract in hurried response.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, Mr. Uchiha!" A blonde stewardess, who was bent over serving him champagne, apologized profusely while dabbing a ready towel on the now-stained navy blue long-sleeved shirt. She had a high-pitched voice, making his nerves grate in response.

"It's okay," he answered through gritted teeth, his face forming into a scowl as he snatched the towel from the blonde whose hand was suspiciously wandering over his upper torso – a good six inches away from the stain she had accidentally spilled there.

"Oh, but—"

"I'll cope on my own, thank you." He glared at the woman with disgusted eyes as he dabbed the white cotton towel on the cold stain. "You may leave."

"Ah, y-yes…! Sorry!"

He stifled a curse when the smell of expensive alcohol permeated through his nose. He didn't exactly have an extra shirt ready. With a resigned sigh, he stood up. He walked towards one of the two bathrooms in the area but was faced with a sign pinned on the doors saying 'OUT OF ORDER. Sorry for the inconvenience'. He turned around and almost heaved a disgruntled sigh when he sighted another stewardess going his way, this time a redhead.

"Mr. Uchiha! How may—oh," she broke off as she saw the large stain on his silk shirt. "I can clean it for you—"

"Toilet."

"Oh, you can use the ones downsta—"

"Thanks."

"M-My pleasure, Mr. Uchiha!"

He stopped the strong urge to roll his eyes. Frowning, he glided down the metallic spiral stairs, a hand holding the navy blue silk away from his skin. His eyes quickly scanned over the signs on the knobs, immediately discovering that all were occupied. This was obviously not one of his good days—not that he'd been having any for the past few months.

He resigned to waiting for an available cubicle. Finally, the door to his left rattled. It stopped, only to rattle again a moment later.

"Um… is someone there?" A voice, a feminine voice, echoed from the inside.

He froze. Surely there was something wrong with his mind to associate the voice with hers? How long was it since he had last seen her? His scowl deepened. Now wasn't really a good time to revert his thoughts back to _her_ (or any other time, really). He heard the woman inside knock softly on the door and then curse when he remained silent. "How can I help?"

A moment of silence passed over them; the person inside was probably recovering from the surprise that someone was actually outside.

"Thank god! Could you please help me push the door open?—I mean I push, you pull."

The door to his right opened, revealing an elderly man with very thick glasses. He stared at the vacated toilet. Should he even bother?

"He—hello?"

"Sure," he responded as he turned his gaze back to the door in front of him. He planted his right arm on the wall beside the door and used his left arm to yank it.

The door whooshed open, taking a petite woman along with it since her hand was still latched on the handle. She almost ended up on the burgundy-carpeted floor if it wasn't for his arms wrapping around her slim waist that broke her fall. He ignored the twinge of disappointment when he saw that the woman wasn't indigo-haired or pale-eyed but a brunette with piercing light-brown eyes.

"Thanks!" The woman smiled at him when she righted herself—only to find herself thanking the closed bathroom door. She snarled. _Why that ill-humored ba— _

"Tenten…? What are you doing standing there?"

"Hinata!? What are _you _doing standing up?"

Sasuke, who had finished pouring water over the wet stain on the shirt he took off, froze midway from pushing the hand dryer on.

"Don't fuss. I'll only be a moment. No need to wait for me, okay?"

"Should I ask for a new barf bag?"

"No, I learned my lesson."

"Okay."

A door clicked close.

Sasuke opened the door, leaving it ajar. He turned on the hand dryer, positioning the wet part of his shirt beneath it, all the while keeping an eye on the door the old man had vacated a few moments ago. His breath stopped when the door finally opened. There. So it was her after all.

"Hinata."

Startled, Hinata hesitantly turned around, her eyes connecting with the one who had called out her name. Her breath hitched in dismay when she recognized Sasuke standing some five feet away wearing a white undershirt and a piece of blue clothing on his hand.

"H-hi!" She greeted with round eyes with a hand covering her throat defensively. She took a cowardly step back and twirled around. "Goodbye!"

He swallowed the oath that was about to issue from his mouth as he followed her brisk, retreating footsteps.

She had closed the thick curtain that divided the areas of the airplane just as he was about to pass through, making it press irritatingly against his nose. He angrily pushed the curtains aside, causing one of the flight stewards standing on the cramped pantry on his right to draw back in alarm. His eyes did a swift scan of the inside of the economy class as soon as he got in. He was slightly miffed when he couldn't find anyone standing, but that wasn't enough to deter him. He walked at an unhurried pace, carefully scrutinizing the faces of the passengers sitting left and right.

"But you gave the art book to the cleaning lady as a farewell present when we left. How can it be possible that it's under the chair?"

He stilled upon hearing a woman's familiar voice. Someone, most likely feminine, hissed afterwards but he couldn't see who did it. Instead, his eyes trained on the woman who had spoken, recognizing that she was the brown-haired woman from before, and noticing that there was indeed another woman bent down on the chair looking for something. And wouldn't you know it she had the same outfit as Hinata's. He smirked.

-

"Miss Hyuuga…? Missus Rock…?"

Both women looked up to see a stewardess smiling at them inquiringly.

"Yes?" Hinata replied stiffly, uneasy because she had a slight suspicion that this had something to do with her seeing Sasuke just a moment ago. How could life be so cruel? Their first flight had been so uneventful (except the part where Tenten blurted her outrageous idea of Neji and her being together). She was expecting the next flight to be just as uneventful. Why did it have to happen that they were in the same flight together? And that they just had to meet, at the bathrooms of all places!

The stewardess beamed the two an even bigger smile. "Congratulations! You have just been upgraded to first class. Here are your tickets and new seating plan. Please come with me."

"Whoa, really?" Tenten exclaimed beside her.

Too surprised by what the stewardess told her, Hinata took it without resistance. Immediately realizing her mistake, she frantically stood up and called the redhead back. "I'm sorry but I—could you—I can't leave my friend alone. I mean, I don't want to be separated from her," she explained consciously as she held out the tickets for the stewardess to take. She hadn't taken a look at the tickets, but wasn't she right to assume that Sasuke would have had set her a seat next to him?

A frown marred the beautiful features of the stewardess. "May I please look at your tickets, Miss Hyuuga?" At Hinata's agreeing gesture, she rotated them from the woman's open palms. "There Miss, you and her will be sitting next to each other," she explained as she pointed a finger at a combination of two digit numbers and the letters A and B on each of the upper-right corner of the two tickets.

"Oh."

"I'll give you a few minutes to prepare," said the stewardess as she gave a close-lipped smile and walked away.

"Why would anyone bother to move us to first-class on a four-and-a-half-hour trip?" Tenten asked as Hinata sat back on her seat with a dazed look.

_Because he has loads of money, _she thought derisively.

"Wrong question," her friend leaned over her side of the chair closer to Hinata's and spoke with a teasing voice. "_Who _would bother to move us to first-class?"

Hinata couldn't stop from flushing red.

"Not that I'm complaining. I hear they give out green bamboo sticks for your feet!" The last sentence was whispered conspiringly through Hinata's ears.

She could only offer a forced smile in return.

"Would you like help with your luggage, ladies?"

Hinata conceded, giving a half-hearted nod for the sake of responding. They had only walked a short distance when a steward came to their aid. It vaguely registered in her head how close their economy seats were to the first-class area.

"Mr. Uchiha, would you like an aperitif before we serve lunch?"

She stumbled on the carpeting when she saw a voluptuous blonde stewardess posed like she was promoting a product (note: herself) instead of serving drinks. She was thankful for her, though. At least she could pinpoint where he was instead of not knowing where not to look.

Hinata did not dare look at him as she and Tenten passed by. But when she did pass him, she couldn't prevent her eyes from looking at him furtively. So engrossed was he with his stylish-looking ivory-colored laptop, she didn't think he would notice anyone that passed him by—except maybe throw yourself at him like that stewardess was doing. Disappointment clouded over her – akin to what she had felt when she learned that he wasn't going to make a pass at her. Aghast with where her thoughts were taking her, she walked faster to where their seats were located.

They were in the middle row, with her taking the left aisle seat. The aisle itself was so expansive and the first-class area so small that when she turned her head to the left and looked slightly back, she got a clear view of Sasuke seated on the window-side of a two-seater, the other chair vacant of any person.

"My God!"

Hinata, who had surreptitiously stolen a glance at Sasuke using the side of her leather-upholstered chair, tilted her head back at the sound of Tenten's voice. She was kneeling on her seat, her front resting on the back of the airplane seat as she eyed the only credible person Hinata would be sneaking a look at (there were only middle-aged women on the seats that surrounded him).

"Tenten!" she hissed her name out as she forcibly dragged her by the arm down to the seat, her eyes rounding in alarm.

Tenten let her drag her down. "Hinata, there's only one probable guy that could be 'connected' with you but please tell me I'm wrong and that it's not that black-haired rooster-dude you're looking at. That cold arrogant…!" The last word (most likely a curse) was muttered incoherently, her face contorting in distaste while saying it.

_Rooster-dude…? Arrogant…? _

Her friend was muttering more incomprehensible words that she couldn't catch but it was enough to make her giggle. She couldn't stop the laugh escaping from her mouth. She didn't even know why she was finding what she said as humorous.

"I'm being serious here," Tenten sulked.

"Sorry," she comforted as she smothered another laugh that was about to burst out of her. "Why the animosity, though? Better yet, how come you know him?"

"Shouldn't _I_ be asking you that?" she questioned as she arched a brow. "Oh, if you must know, he slammed the door on my face after helping me open it."

"Oh." The explanation stopped her on her tracks. "I thought he made a pass at you or something," she blurted before she could stop herself. She flushed red.

"I wonder why you thought that…"

Hinata visibly froze, her ears tingling as Sasuke's breath fanned her hair, sifting through it and sending shivers to her neck. She made a play of tucking her hair behind her ear as she faced him, when in honesty she was getting rid of the feel of his breath against her neck. "Weren't you working?"

"I'm honored you noticed," he stated with a sardonic smile as he straightened his back, hands going to the insides of his pant pockets that were previously resting on the back of her seat and armrest.

She stopped the urge to yell in exasperation by taking a deep breath. But, before she could speak, Tenten beat her to it.

"I don't like you."

"Neither do I."

Her eyes widened in panic. Tenten was sometimes a little too feisty for her own good. Standing up, she grabbed his arm and dragged him backwards before he could say anything more or let him hear Tenten's comeback. She let go of his hand as soon as she saw that he was following her. She plopped down on the vacant seat beside Sasuke's, her head bowed in embarrassment.

"I… I'll sit here for the time being," she said calmly when he made no further movement. Inwardly, she was cursing her red face. What was he doing standing up? It was making her uncomfortable, him towering over her like that. When she couldn't take it anymore, she looked up, her eyes focusing on a face devoid of any expression. But an elegant brow was swept up, though. "Wha-what?!"

He shrugged. She relaxed when he finally sat down on the seat beside her.

She could feel his eyes on her as silence continued to govern over them. _Stop looking at me! _"Don't you have work?"

"Tons."

Her lips compressed into a thin line. _Then why doesn't he continue it_, she thought sourly.

"I didn't expect to see you here, in an airplane of all places."

_You and me both. Actually, I never expected to ever see you again. _

"Do you suffer from airsickness?"

"What?—no, how did that ever get into your head?"

"Your companion was asking you whether or not you wanted a new 'barf' bag."

"Oh, that! Well, yeah—I mean—sometimes I suffer, sometimes I don't! And I guess this was just one of those times," she explained hurriedly. She shifted uncomfortably on her seat. Actually, she hadn't been taking note of the time zones that she took a pill two hours earlier than the supposed time. Tenten had already berated her for her carelessness. She didn't really want to hear more from anybody. "And my companion has a name – Tenten."

"I wasn't really interested."

_What a… _

"You should tell your friend it's impolite to stare, especially with one that's throwing daggers."

"Well you aren't exactly the epitome of a gentleman." She heard Sasuke shuffling in his seat beside her, but she didn't dare look at him.

"I'd like to meet her again," at Hinata's confused face he continued, "the Hinata I met at my house."

Hinata blushed, remembering the vulnerable woman she had been when she woke up in a stranger's place. Her mind was reeling. What was it with his stripping tactics? Really, if she didn't know any better, she would have thought he had a one-track mind. "That… that wasn't—I wasn't," she took a deep but shaky breath to rid herself of her inability to speak coherently. "I don't know what you mean."

"Playing dumb doesn't suit you."

"I don't know what you mean."

"You are incorrigible."

Hinata blinked and finally looked at him. She couldn't stop a giggle at his choice of word. "My, I never thought I'd hear Sasuke Uchiha use a…" she broke off when he purposely leaned forward and invaded her personal space.

Everything seemed to slow down to a snail's pace that very moment. What was she doing? Why wasn't she moving? Why was she watching the slow, slow progression of his (palatable) lips toward her own? She closed her eyes, unwilling to be the recipient of his penetrating gaze any second longer.

"Stop that."

"W-What?"

"You look like you're being sentenced to death."

She popped her right eye open. "Well, aren't I?"

"You enjoy putting me down, don't you?"

Her mouth twitched.

"Do I detect a smile hovering on your pretty little mouth?"

"You have your uses."

"What? You think moving you to first-class was for free?"

"Don't worry I'll pay you back for the first-class tickets – _with _ten percent interest." _What a snob!_

"Tempting, but I want payment in sweat and body fluids."

She gaped at him (never mind that she almost choked on her own spit). Why did she even bother to open her mouth and stick her foot in? "Y-your mouth has gotten… nastier than usual."

"I'll take that as a compliment," he said, obviously unfazed. He rested a hand over her slender ones.

Shocked at the contact, she recoiled from her seat, and then stood up not a moment later. "I-I-I changed my mind. I'll go back to my seat."

"Coward."

Hinata had to use all her willpower to stop herself from taking the bait.

-

She really hated how manipulative Sasuke could be when he put his mind to it. Somehow, the two women ended up being ushered to their respective homes by Sasuke's chauffer-driven car. Somehow, Tenten ended up sitting on the front seat. Somehow, she ended up sitting _beside _Sasuke – to his right to be precise. And somehow, the backpack that she used as barricade between their seats disappeared.

This was all Neji's fault! Why did he call as soon as she turned on her phone and tell her he wasn't going to be able to meet them? Why couldn't he have called thirty minutes _later_ when Sasuke with his chauffer-driven car would've already been miles away? Why did he have to be so damn perfect?!

"I'll drop your friend at her house first."

"Oh but mine's—" _closer_, she was about to continue, only to break off when Sasuke issued her a warning glare. He was, after all, in a bad mood. She had no idea why since he got his way with her (again). She heaved a resigned sigh. "Never mind."

A few minutes later, Tenten was issuing instructions on how to get to her house. "See you tomorrow," she said as parting when they arrived, giving Tenten an affectionate hug.

"You're going straight home, right?" Tenten asked but her tone implied that it was more of an order. She threw a covert glare at Sasuke. She climbed up of the stairs leading to her apartment and threw a final wave to Hinata before closing the door behind her.

With no choice but to go back inside the car, she turned around. "You know, Sasuke I think I'll…" The phrase 'spend the night here' stuck in her throat when her bewildered eyes met his tormented ones.

"Do that and you'll have to grab your entire luggage at _my _house," he stated unfeelingly but the way he said it made Hinata sure he was keeping his anger in check. Sasuke's hand grabbed her own and tugged her forcefully inside the car.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **This fiction is written for entertainment purposes only, thus, the authoress will not be profiting from this. Naruto and its characters are owned by Masashi Kishomoto. 

_Credits go to Shiranui the Brave for proofreading this chapter. _


	4. Part IV

**Part IV**

Sasuke was having a hard time figuring out why Hinata was so reluctant in entering a relationship with him.

_Scratch that_.

He was having a hard time finding out any other reason why she was so reluctant about having a relationship with him besides the fact that she was badly hurt (to the point of traumatized) by some stupid prick at an earlier point in her life.

Grave mistake #1: She was fragile goods. He had a strong inclination to beat the guy who did this to her and leave him hanging within an inch of his life for making her exceedingly wary of men.

He had realized it too late, having already done the damage by coming at her quite heavily – a couple of times at that, since there was also the fact that he enjoyed watching her writhe while he played with her feelings – not to mention being able to force out the feelings he desired to see from her. This would be grave mistake #2.

Grave mistake #3: He was going about this the wrong way. He was slightly ashamed to admit it, but every moment with her was when everything despicable just manifested within him. Dare he say that she consistently—and quite easily—brought out the beast in him? It was as if the savagery of his actions was controlled by the intensity of her brush-offs.

But if he were to just suddenly change skins, she would see it as one of his dastardly ploys to get her in his bed (though that thought actually had valid bearings). It frustrated him to no end – and there was nothing good about piling up frustrations. Everyone knew it just led to anger. Yes, he was angry – exasperatingly angry.

He had his eyes open as he took possession of her evidently unwilling lips, but he wasn't planning on stopping anytime soon. Underneath him, her small body was as rigid as a tree, as well as the delicate fingers that were scrunched up on both sides of his neck—one moment pushing him away, another holding his head closer.

It amazed him how nine months of not seeing each other seemed to disintegrate, the months peeling away one by one, as he felt the familiar stirrings in his loins. Yet he was still angry… and very much unsatisfied. Because of that, he was doing the same mistakes all over again. He was definitely not some sex-starved teenager but, as much as he hated to admit it, he was acting like one.

_Damn it. _She was too cute for her own good. He reluctantly pushed himself away from her.

-

When they were like this, everything else faded in comparison. If she could just forget about her problems, then everything would turn out fine. Her resolve was wavering. One moment she was reminded by his manipulative actions, treating her like the proverbial blonde, easily bent to his will. Another moment she was reminded of his steadfast and honest want to be with her. But the uppermost thought that raked to the top of her mind again and again was the feel of his body against hers, devouring her, its fiery source consuming her defenses until all that was left was raw need.

She felt him push his body away from her. Her dazed eyes watched him rake a hand through his hair.

"Sorry."

Her befuddled brain tried to comprehend what he just said. _Did he just…_

"Please… look as surprised as you can."

_No, he definitely did not apologize. _His sarcasm stung. It wasn't her fault he always acted as if he was Mr. Irresistible. "It's because you won't take no for an answer!"

Sasuke slumped back on the seat, resting his elbow on top of it. "If it was a case of wanting the unattainable and if you were to classify me as a man like that, wouldn't nine months be such a long time to pass to continue pursuing it?"

She agreed with him but she'd be damned if she'd ever admit it out loud. She pursed her lips and rested her gaze on the car window, her eyes staring unseeingly at the blur of lights and buildings.

"Hinata, do you like me?"

"No."

"Do you want me?"

Her face suffused with red. "Definitely not!"

"Liar."

The words were whispered through her sensitive ears, the surrounding skin shivering in delight at his warm breath. Her body reacted by darting closer towards the side door, her back pressing against it.

"Why are you so flustered if I'm the only one feeling something here?"

He did it again, undermining her defenses by jumping from one point to another with frighteningly perfect timing, leaving her utterly disoriented. She was even at a loss on what to say next.

"_Mister _Uchiha, I have told you before and I'll tell you again: I am not a—_your_ toy."

"Interesting thought."

"It's not a thought—it's a fact."

Sasuke was silent, staring at her critically for the next moments. His face was undecipherable, and she didn't know if he was pondering about her words or planning something else entirely. "Give me one good reason not to pursue you."

"You're not serious about me." _We'll end up hurting each other._

"How would you know?"

She gave out an unladylike snort. "How would you, when you don't know anything about love?"

His face darkened at her barbed question, his mouth turning down at the corners, and his eyes firing with silent rage. Her breath caught in her throat. She was deliberately taunting him, but she didn't expect she would evoke this deep of a reaction from him.

"Y-You—you're h-hurting me!" She hissed since his nails were biting hard on her uncovered upper arm. She hated it when she stammered with her words, but it was obvious she had gone too far… where exactly she had no idea. "I-I'm sorry that was uncalled for."

He let go of her hand, the scowl still on his face.

As if on cue, her mobile phone rang, relieving her from the situation that had gotten out of hand (for the moment). The caller was Tenten. The tension inside the car was enough to give her second thoughts on answering but she desperately needed an escape vessel.

"_Are you home?" _

"Not yet." If Hinata was, she would have easily laughed at Tenten's greeting, so much like Neji's – without preamble. As it was, her situation was already bleak enough. The conversation continued, with Tenten asking her if Sasuke had done anything to her. She was hard-pressed to keep her blush in check.

Sasuke only glanced beyond her when she ended the call, his face without expression as if nothing had happened. "Perfect timing."

The call seemed to have given him time to cool down but she noticed the cynicism in his voice. She looked behind her and immediately recognized her own home. She grinned, more out of relief than any thoughts of antagonizing him any further. "Isn't it?"

She slapped a palm to her mouth, suddenly apprehensive of how Sasuke was going to react. She scampered on the seat, away from him and out of the car, jerking the door all the way open.

She anxiously faced him as she heard him move out of the car. She stood on the pavement, looking down at the concrete floor, rigid, as she waited for the chauffer who was speedily and efficiently taking out her luggage down to the ground to finish.

"Thank you for the ride," she said, but she was looking at the lower half of his face, still unwilling to look at his eyes. One side of his mouth slightly titled upwards, reminding her of evil clowns devising devilish schemes. He tugged at her arm.

"Goodnight," he said huskily, his face a few centimeters away from hers.

The chauffer coughed loudly, making Hinata's eyes widen in embarrassment when she realized that there was another person aside for them inside the car. She hastily turned around and ran for her home's gate.

-

Where was the guy she thought she had known? Those eyes…

Why did she get the feeling that what he spoke was all true? In fact, everything in his actions suggested that he was a man who never lied or had any reason for making one. He could be cold, calculating, and downright despicable but somehow, she just _knew_ that he wasn't one to go for deceit.

Hinata uncurled herself from her sofa when she heard someone knock on her door. She opened it, offering a small smile to her cousin as he admitted himself inside her apartment.

"Sorry I wasn't able to pick you up."

"That's okay. How was work?"

"Hellish as usual," he answered as he lounged on her sofa. "It's a relief to hear you got home so quickly. Tenten called me up an hour after I called you and told me she was home already."

"Uh… yeah, we were able to get a ride as soon as we got out of the terminal," she explained uncomfortably when she inadvertently thought what Tenten could have spilled. _Well, that was the truth, wasn't it?_ She sat on the vacant side of the sofa.

"That's nice," he responded, tiredness lacing his voice.

She relaxed when it didn't seem that Neji was going to say more.

He squinted then sat up, causing Hinata to look at him nervously. His mouth curled, "I forgot about the magazine I stuck on the back of my jeans." He proceeded to lazily fling the rolled and folded magazine on the space separating them.

A small picture of Sasuke's profile greeted her eyes.

_Great, just who I wanted to see._

He was wearing a black three-piece suit; the crisp lines of the clothing making him look indifferent. Even if it was just a picture, she could sense the dominating aura he always emanated. She read the accompanying caption: '_UGC's successful opening of…'_

She resigned herself to the fact that she was going to see or be reminded of Sasuke for the… rest of her life, maybe. She picked up the magazine and plowed the pages until she got to the part specified on the cover. Idly, she read the content.

"For someone so rich and very much a public figure, his personal life sure is private," she said to no one in particular, referring to the article which barely talked about anything regarding Sasuke. It was more about the opening of the new establishment even though it was his picture dominating the cover.

"Hmm…? Who are we talking about?"

"I thought you were asleep," she said as she gazed at the curious eyes of her cousin. When she only got a shrug as response, she continued. "Sasuke… Uchiha," she supplied with a pause and then continuing when she found that there wasn't a trace of recognition in her cousin's eyes.

"Ah… What about him?"

"Just um… curious," she mentally smacked her forehead. Neji was drunk that night and most probably had forgotten ever meeting the guy. She envied how her cousin could be particularly selective of the memories he wanted to retain whenever he was inebriated with high doses of alcohol.

"Anything he does is news. Unfortunately, he's been acting too much of a good boy for the past few years that the press don't even bother getting scoops about his personal life any more."

"I see." She gazed unseeingly at the article. "You're going?" she asked when he stood up.

"I have to check on my colleague's mock-ups. Here," he reached inside his pocket, bent down and placed something on the coffee table, straightening when he finished.

Hinata trained her eyes on the slim plastic bottle Neji set on the table, her breath catching as she recognized what it was.

"Tenten told me you were almost out of it so I bought one on the way home."

"T-Thank you."

Neji left afterwards. She felt like suffocating in the silence that echoed inside her apartment as she stared hazily at the prescription bottle in front of her. It felt as if all the complications she was facing with Sasuke and her feelings towards him suddenly materialized and compressed in front of her in the form of a damnable thirty-gram orange bottle.

She wanted to reciprocate. Her position wasn't like in the past where her father and her life of being a Hyuuga forbade her to act and live the way she pleased.

She had taken the step to free herself from a prison where she was forced to study business-related courses but still wouldn't be able to use the knowledge she acquired because she was going to be treated as the most precious Hyuuga ornament: refined, conversant, yet disgustingly docile.

And an ornament wouldn't be complete without the one it was adorning.

Six years ago, she was supposed to be married to a relative worthy of leading the globally-known Hyuuga 'empire'. Her father hadn't even bothered to inform her who she was to wed; such vital information was useless to her anyway. It was because her heart was weak – literally weak; weaker than most to the point that conceiving a child would equate to suicide. Her father knew of this complication, yet he continued with the travesty of a marriage. To add insult to injury, he had expected her to give birth at the cost of her life to continue the family's noble lineage.

It was all in the name of Hyuuga.

It was reason enough to send her running. Neji had packed his bags along with her. There were also other external factors why she was firm with her decision to leave the family but she'd rather not be reminded of those.

She smiled wryly as she tasted the bitterness of her acrimonious memories at the back of her throat. She had been so focused on keeping Sasuke at arm's length that she had forgotten the crux of the matter on why she was doing so in the first place. Her and her cousin's hard-earned freedom had given her enough self-esteem to live normally, thinking that she had as much right as the next person. But it was never right to see the world through rose-tinted glasses, and she had suffered her first and hopefully only heartbreak because of that mistake.

That wasn't the case now. But it was still self-preservation. But weren't her actions reflecting how she seemed to have reverted back to how she was back then? Enclosing herself in a shell, protecting her feelings by not letting anything happen to her, and accepting her position without a fight, just to name a few. Hadn't she promised herself to enjoy life from that point on?

After all, this was only a game to him. And two could play at that game. If someone was going to be hurt in all of this, it was only going to be her.

And just like that, it was decided.

-

Following through wasn't as easy as deciding. Her confidence acquired over the years didn't go well with that area. Besides, even if she did, she couldn't just damn well go and shout "I want you back!" at him.

Her chance came when a client asked for a commission and it just so happened that she was close to the area where his office building was located, though it was still too far to walk all the way from where she was. After hailing a taxi, she unconsciously played with the thick frame of her dark-tinted glasses, a vital accessory to hide her highly unusual yet publicly known asset. It was a habit of hers when she was nervous.

She didn't make an appointment with Sasuke that she was going to his offices. She was putting it down to luck, and maybe a little of fate. She was taking a chance that he was there and further that he was going to see her. But if he wasn't there, then they weren't fated to meet today. She sighed as she objectively—or rather—critically viewed her pathetic attempt at reasoning and comforting herself.

The traffic jam was killing her slowly, as slow as the taxi crawling to her destination. She felt unusually cold yet her hands were sweating. She was even fidgeting with her fingers, a bad habit she thought she had shed. Just how old was she? _Twelve_?

She unconsciously bit her lip as she caught sight of the three-story building that was UGC. She paid for the taxi fare and left, not even bothering to collect her change. Her eyes looked up, and she couldn't stop herself from caressing the building's façade. Through her glasses, she met the welcoming eyes of the doorman as soon as she went up the granite stairs.

"Good morning! How may I help you?"

"I'm here to see Mr. Sasuke Uchiha."

The doorman didn't seem surprised as he asked her: "Do you have an appointment?"

Her hands fisted on her sides. "No."

A look of disappointment crossed his face. "I'm sorry, Miss, but you have to have an appointment before I can let you in."

"I see. Thank you," she said politely but through compressed lips. He hadn't even asked for her name. He probably thought she was a woman chasing after his boss! She felt oddly anti-climactic as she pirouetted and almost glided down the short flight of stairs that led to the sidewalk. She felt let down but thoroughly relieved, like she had finally gotten past a wrong decision. Vaguely, she heard a phone ring from behind. A moment later, the doorman shouted her name, much to her surprise.

"Please wait, Ms. Hyuuga! Mr. Uchiha is coming down to see you," he urged as he too went down the steps to relay the message.

Her heart slammed against her chest at hearing her name and at the news; the feeling was anything but pleasant. "I-I-I changed my mind. Thank you," she excused herself. Something about Sasuke and pursuing her probably never would sit well with her, unsettling her already unsettled mind, causing her to panic and make a run for it.

The doorman stopped and scratched his head. His face contorted in confusion, wondering about the odd behavior and fickle-mindedness of women.

Focusing her eyes on the street, she saw the same taxi she had arrived in. The driver, who was out of the car, was currently fetching for money inside his wallet. Surprised, but relieved at the same time, she jogged her way towards it.

"Ah! Miss, your change," the taxi driver stretched his arms out with the proffered money.

She ignored the hand and opened the passenger door instead, going inside and mumbling a soft "take me back."

The taxi driver looked at her as if she had grown another head but immediately complied with her request. _Women_, he thought. Opening the door, he went in and fired the engine.

Her hands fisted in frustration when a truck in front of them impeded the car's movement while it slowly backed up towards the road. She was losing precious mileage here. Half a minute flew by and they were still there, making her aware that Sasuke was going to be at her side any time now. As she had feared, her head whipped towards the sound of the door to her right opening, her eyes widening as she saw him slip inside the car.

"Wha—Sasuke, what are you doing?"

He ignored her. Instead, he spoke to the driver and told him about a change of destination and pinpointed to a place called _Ayame's_.

"Excuse me but thi—"

"It's almost lunch time. _Ayame's_ is a bistro. They have many customers. Satisfied?" he cut through Hinata's objection.

_Do I have any choice?_

"No."

Startled, she could only stare at him. Was she that much of an easy read? "P-please take us there," she said to the driver, who nodded in return, albeit uneasily. She looked away from the driver to hide the dusting of red on her cheeks.

"This is the first time you went to me entirely out of your own will and you expect me not to react like this?"

She blinked at his profile. It took her a few seconds before it dawned on her that he was answering her previous question.

"I think I just broke the ten-meter-dash record coming down here," he said with a huff, his left hand puffing the polo shirt away from him while the right threaded through his short, spiky hair.

The movement and pose was oddly mesmerizing to Hinata, who was all for visuals. He really was good-looking, just like Neji's (only his was more feminine) who still had the power to shock her at times when she looked at him from certain angles even after more than two decades of close companionship.

"Don't look at me like that."

"L-Like what?" She looked away from him, this time guilty of being caught staring.

He didn't answer. The silence that ensued between them was deafening. Even the cab driver seemed to move rigidly because of the tense atmosphere inside the car.

"Why did you come?"

This time, it was her who couldn't answer. She didn't know herself. Okay, maybe she _knew_ what she was getting into. Why else was she here? What she didn't know was why she was willing to throw herself into his den full of ravenous lions for a moment of happiness she wasn't even sure she would be getting.

"It doesn't matter."

"You've been rejecting me since we met but you're here and you tell me it doesn't matter? Come on," he threw his hand out, as if fed up with the idea, or he probably was. "Don't kid me."

"I've been very vocal with my—"

"We're back at that again?"

"Stop acting like you're serious about this!"

"I'm not acting."

"Yes, you are! You're pretending. One minute you're undeniably charming, the next you're seducing me!" she finished with the last sentence lamely, like she was having a false resolution. To her, she sounded like someone who didn't have her own mind, one who couldn't protect herself.

"When I say I'm not then I'm not," he retorted with finality, the amusement in his voice undisguised.

Her pale lavender eyes flared.

His lips pressed against hers. "Don't get angry with me," he whispered.

The driver coughed, reminding her that he was an unwilling participant to their argument. She could practically feel the blood encroach her neck. With her, it was possible to die of embarrassment.

"I think I remember where this scene once happened."

"I should be the one saying that," she said breathlessly while willing the blush on her pale face to fade away.

The driver coughed loudly again, signaling his interruption at the same time getting their attention. "Should I enter?"

"No, we'll get off here," Sasuke answered succinctly.

They got off the taxi with Hinata looking around, surprised by the lively greenery of the surroundings; even the walls enclosing the area were covered with creeping plants and dark olive moss. Not only that, there was also a small pond on the left side of the restaurant. The restaurant was a two-floor building, with Konoha's signature domed roofs, a rare sighting for a city that had stopped building it in favor of mid and high rise buildings with more modern appeal (although they were still as aesthetic as the originals). She had the feeling she was going to be here again.

The proprietor of the small restaurant personally came to greet them upon their entrance, introducing herself as the person named after the bistro. Her petite frame led them to a table beside a window where you could see the pond outside.

When the two were left to their own devices and given their menus, she excused herself from Sasuke, who only nodded his approval.

Inside the women's bathroom, she inspected her face, staring annoyingly at the hectic flush on her cheeks that hadn't disappeared. A woman went in as she grabbed a cosmetic inside her purse, her eyes easily recognizing the brown-eyed lady as the proprietor.

"Oh hello, Hinata," she greeted with a friendly smile. "You have really pretty eyes," she said at the pair of bared lavender eyes.

"Thank you," she answered as her hand unconsciously went to the side of her head to feel for the sunglasses' frame even if she could see in the mirror that she wasn't wearing it. She couldn't stop her gaze from inspecting the woman. Sasuke had been really comfortable and _gentler _with her during the time she was handing out the menus and exchanging polite talk.

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'm more of a Kakashi fan," she explained, referring to the eccentric owner of Hatake Publishing whose face was probably in the fantasies of most Konoha women.

She cursed her expressive face. "Uh, no you—you got it wrong, Miss—"

"Ayame."

"—Ayame, we… we're not really going out." _Or at least… not yet_, her mind reeled.

"So you don't mind if I take him for myself, then."

"I thought you were a Kakashi fan?" She blushed when she wasn't able to stop her runaway mouth.

Ayame chuckled. "You're too easy to tease. I can see why Sasuke likes you."

She smiled wryly at being caught in a trap. "That doesn't really sound endearing, does it?"

"Mm… only if you want to see it that way."

Hinata became silent for a moment. "May I ask a personal question?"

"Sure," Ayame answered as she puckered her lips to apply lipstick.

"How long have you known Mr. Uchiha?"

"Oh, please, you don't have to be so formal. To answer your question, I met them when I was about twelve and helping about my father's small ramen bar, _Ichiraku's_. He and a friend of his were regular customers," she rested her pointing finger on the angle of her jaw in wonderment. "Or maybe it's more appropriate to say that his friend always tagged him along against his will."

"I see."

"Well, I should be getting back. See you!"

It was a few more moments before she let herself out of the toilets.

"Took you long enough. I already ordered for both of us. I hope you don't mind."

She smiled weakly. "No, not at all."

Their lunch passed without a hitch, surprising her yet again how Sasuke could really be charming if he wanted (translation: when he wasn't making a pass at her). Their conversation flowed from one topic to another without any awkward silences in between. He was amusing as well as entertaining.

It was with a trace of regret when he consulted his wristwatch, telling her that their 'date' had to come to an end. They said their goodbyes to Ayame before leaving, who in turn pressed for their return. Outside, he hailed for a taxi without any difficulty. He opened the door and let her in. She was confused when he closed the door without him getting inside.

"I have other matters to attend to," he leaned on the open window as he answered her unspoken question.

"I see," she said, not at all surprised at the sound of regret in her voice.

"I wasn't able to give you a tour. Come back this Friday?"

Her indecision was starkly etched on her delicate face.

"Hinata, do you like me?"

"No."

"Do you want me?"

"Y-Yes," she flushed red.

"I'll ask you again. Would you like a tour of my office this Friday?"

And just like that, it was decided.

"I… I would love to."

He leant towards the sitting Hinata, resting a hand on the car's chassis. "See you," he said as he straightened, knocking twice on the metal of the car to signal that it could leave.

She brought a hand close to her mouth, feeling the burning imprint left by his lips. The kiss had been the gentlest she'd ever received from him, yet it felt like the one to be the most possessive. No, not possessive. It would be more accurate to say that he had branded her as his possession – which should have made her angry. But that wasn't the most pressing thought in her mind because, just now, she felt unexpectedly… cherished.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **This fiction is written for entertainment purposes only, thus, the authoress will not be profiting from this. Naruto and its characters are owned by Masashi Kishomoto. 

_I extend my warmest thanks for Shiranui the Brave's continuous work in proofreading this story and for juliagulia1017's helpful contributions._


	5. Part V

**Part V **

"Is that really you?"

Hinata and Tenten had just finished having dinner at her apartment. Tenten had brought out a small newspaper when they had set the empty plates aside.

"I'd like to think so," Hinata answered amusedly while looking at a small snapshot of her lagging behind Sasuke as they entered a four-star restaurant. Fortunately, the photograph was grainy and washed out at its best, the size of it too small to discern her features. As if that weren't enough to prevent people from identifying the woman Sasuke was escorting, a black bar covering her eyes (even if she clearly remembered she had been sporting sunglasses) censored any form of recognition.

"I thought you said something about him not being news material… anymore?" Tenten added the last word as an afterthought.

"Well, Neji did. Apparently going out with 'a woman with no sense for high fashion' after months of not doing so is newsworthy enough for page six in the tabloids," she explained with raised brows. "But after looking at the byline…"

"Ooh, female, with very sharp talons." Tenten raised her fingers, curling them in imitation of the paw of a female tiger.

But what the short article made them out to be—an average woman finally digging her claws into Sasuke—wasn't as scintillating as the truth (taking the writer's jab on her femininity and dignity aside).

It had been six weeks since she agreed to go out with Sasuke. However, the turning-point in their relationship felt oddly anticlimactic because she barely ever saw him. Sure, he gave her a thorough tour of his awe-inspiring museum-turned-office (with heavy kissing and petting whenever there were chances of them being alone—all at his instigation, of course). But after that, UGC had literally taken over his time. If she would sum up all the time she spent with him, it would barely equal a week.

_So much for thinking up strategies on keeping him (and his libido) at bay. _

Neji had been okay with him (after introducing himself for the second time), but he wasn't that enthusiastic either. It was not in his character to interfere without concrete cause. She was in her mid-twenties. That she was capable of taking care of herself was what he believed. Tenten's reaction had been an entirely different matter, but if Neji had been okay with it, so would she.

"Hey you, you're spacing out on me again!"

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry. Did you say something?"

"Of course I did." She took the newspaper out of Hinata's grasp. "I'm taking this. I'm going in to Neji's apartment to clean out some of his stuff. That way I can take mine out of his living room and into some place less conspicuous."

"Do you need help?" she asked as she too stood up from the table.

"Nah, I need the workout. And, you know, I wanna treat this as my peace offering to Neji," she answered with a big grin.

Tenten was pushing through with her plans on reopening Lee's martial arts school. Hinata had been there when her friend had forwarded her plans to Neji during dinner more than a month ago. It had pained her that time when she noticed Neji turn pale at her news, probably remembering that the school was situated out of the country. She, of course, covered for her cousin's inability to speak the moment Tenten opened the topic. Tenten had rambled on without noticing anything amiss.

_"And I actually found the perfect spot for the school! You know that large mall beside Konoha Institute? There's this small two-floor building that used to be a gym. And guess what, it's vacant!" _

_"Konoha…Institute?" Neji couldn't contain the surprise in his voice. _

_"Hey isn't that close by?" Hinata asked excitedly. _

_"Yep!" she grinned sheepishly. "Which is why I wanted to ask you guys if I could crash at your place in the meantime. It's only for a short while since I'm planning on renovating the upper floor into my room. Lee's—I mean my lease is ending in a few weeks but I have no plans on extending it." _

_Hinata didn't know why but her cousin had suddenly turned cold, his eyes dark with something she couldn't identify. _

_"You already bought it?" he questioned harshly. _

_"Yes," Tenten answered quickly, taken aback by the bite in his words. _

_"Why didn't I know about any of this?" _

_"Well… I've been giving this some thought for months and I didn't want to tell you about a half-baked idea that may never see the light of day." _

_"You knew about this?" he accused Hinata. _

_Hinata reddened guiltily. "I—" _

_"Neji, don't be harsh on Hinata. It's not your problem in the first place." _

_"So it isn't," he answered, derisively tilting his mouth. "My apologies." _

_"Neji I—" _

_"I have a headache. You guys can leave after you finish. I'm going to my room." _

"Hi—na—taa! Can't you wait for me to go before you space out again?"

"S-Sorry!" she said while knocking her head playfully.

"I'm going, okay? See you!"

"See… you."

She sighed. Tenten had been hyper ever since the temporary move. Although Tenten had most of her belongings inside Neji's apartment, she slept here in her apartment. She could have put her things here, but her painting gear and finished works were scattered throughout the apartment and Tenten had been adamant in refusing because she didn't want to 'squish' any of Hinata's stuff.

Hinata plopped onto her couch and was just about to take a nap when her phone rang. Lazily, she extended her arm towards the end table beside the couch, grabbed the unit, and laid it down on her lap.

However, her hand stopped midair, hesitating on picking up the receiver when the caller ID read 'Hanabi Hyuuga'. For the last six years, her younger sister had _never _phoned her. But, she was aware that she made calls, though very rarely, to her cousin. Convincing herself that it must be something important for Hanabi to call her, she answered it.

"Hanabi…?"

_"Yes." _

"I'm sorry were you trying to call Neji? I know he can't answer his phone right now."

_"I called you, didn't I?" _

Her lips compressed. "…Is something wrong?"

_"Father wants to speak with you." _

"Huh? What for? Hello…?"

_"Hinata." _

"Father?!" She spluttered, springing up from her laid down position.

_"I expect a little more respect than that, Hinata." _

She was at a loss as for what to say in the first few seconds. "You lost that the moment you took over my life, _Father_," she bristled, her dislike for her father taking over. "Look, if you called to argue with—"

_"That is exactly why I called. Concerning your going out with the Uchiha…" _

"Oh, for the love of—" she broke off. It wouldn't do any good if she lost her cool. She took a deep, calming breath. "Father, you can't order me what to do anymore. I left the house. You've disinherited me."

"_I haven't." _

"What?" she snapped, forgetting about keeping her cool.

_"I haven't disinherited you." _

Her hand rested on her forehead, her fingers partly threading through the thin strands of her midnight blue hair, as if to ease the pain that was starting to appear on her temples. She was beginning to feel very cold. "That's not going to bring me back."

_"I advise you to stay away from the Uchiha." _

She clutched the receiver angrily. "_Goodbye_, Father."

_"Very well. However, I would like you and your cousin to be present for dinner two weeks from now. I will not accept any excuses for not coming." _

She made a disagreeing sound. "Father—"

"Hinata_, don't make this as difficult as it already is."_

"Okay, Father. We'll be there."

With eyes closing, she brought down the receiver weakly, letting the phone drop to the carpeted floor heedlessly. Now that her father's imposing aura wasn't there to keep her on her toes, she felt unusually cold and hollow. Her mind was restless with thoughts of what her father was planning. She rubbed her upper arms briskly, willing the bitter feeling away. All her strength had gone, and that was only a minute-long conversation. How worse would it be if it was a two-hour dinner?

She groaned when someone knocked on her door but she forced herself to stand up when she heard Neji's voice. Opening the door, she returned his greeting with a lot less enthusiasm.

"I'm not imposing, am I?"

"No. Come on in."

"You're pale. What happened? Are you okay? Did you take your medication?" He fired his questions without pausing, walking straight to her couch and sitting down on it afterwards.

"Father called. No. Yes."

"Your father—Why?"

She wasn't prepared to answer that one yet. Instead, she focused on another issue her father talked about – an issue she had no idea how it could be related to them. "How could Father get a hold of the news about me going out with Sasuke? I thought it was only out in the tabloids."

"I… see." He sat on the couch's arm, crossing his arms in front of him as he looked at her calmly. "It was in the daily papers, just not on the front page."

"Yes, but neither my name nor my face was mentioned," she explained, frustration etching onto her face. She plopped down on the other side of the couch tiredly.

"So you noticed, too?"

"What do you—oh god, please don't tell me he's still having us followed."

Neji smirked. "I won't."

At first she could only stare at him; nevertheless, she giggled. It was better to laugh the situation off than wallow herself in self-pity. "You're too evil. But I love you," she rejoined with a small smile.

"Is that all?"

Hinata inwardly winced. Really, he was too perceptive.

"He… wants us to have dinner at the house."

"And you agreed."

"Yes." She gave him a monosyllabic answer, but that one word meant twenty more questions forming in Neji's head. She would never set foot in that house ever again—that was what she had vowed in front of her cousin.

"Hinata," he took her hand and enclosed it within his, his eyes determined to get an answer out of her. "What else did he tell you?"

"I—he—" she took a calming breath. Figures, it was always better to get it over and done with. "I'm still… included in his will."

Neji's hold on her hand tightened, his lips turning down on the corners.

"Neji, I'm terrified. I don't know what he's planning. And Sasuke, why is he warning me against him? He has nothing to do with this. He doesn't even qualify as a gold-digger."

He looked away from her, his expression pondering something serious. "Remember your arranged marriage?"

"Don't tell me he's still at—"

"It was me."

"…What?" Did he mean he once agreed to it?

"He decided on our marriage."

"Oh." For a moment there, she had doubted Neji. She heaved a sigh of relief. "Sorry I… is that why you left with me?"

"Partly," he responded after a bout of silence. "He wants you to stay away from him because of that."

"But… I'm not planning on marrying _anybody_!"

"Even him?" he questioned with arched brows.

She flushed. "You know I've never been serious with anyone." _Except that one time. _But Neji wasn't aware of that part of her life since he was studying journalism overseas.

"You're in love with that guy."

"What? O-Of course not!" Yet even to her it sounded as hollow as a cargo ship's hull. She winced. "I…don't really know. I have… mixed feelings where he's concerned," she admitted ruefully.

"Hinata, you and I both know we won't be able to say that your father has nothing to do with us anymore. You've been denying yourself so many things even without your father's influence. Hinata, give yourself a chance. Be happy with him. You seem fired up enough whenever I see you with him anyway," he advised softly as he entangled her fingers with his. He unconsciously massaged her knuckles with the ball of his thumb.

"Neji!" she complained followed by a blush. She focused her gaze on where their hands were lightly joined. "I am," she answered a little too quickly. But when her cousin's eyes trained on her with a disbelieving gaze she knew she couldn't lie to him. "F-For the moment. Whatever, I'm still going to end it."

Neji was going to argue with her but thought against it. His cousin was already holding so much in her and never in her life had she let herself cry in front of anyone. 'Weakness' was a word Hinata hated to hear with passion.

"Tenten is in my apartment, right? I'll go check on her."

"W-Wait, I'll come with you," she stood up hastily, following her cousin who was already walking out of her door.

"You should rest. You're still a little pale," he admonished when she reached the top of the steps, turning the knob of his apartment's door as he did.

"Really, I'm fine Neji!" she announced fervently. But Neji wasn't looking at her nor was his attention on her. To her surprise, all traces of color had disappeared from his now-granite face.

When she followed his gaze with concern, she gasped, her eyes widening in horror at the stack of pictures Tenten was precariously holding in her hands. It was the pictures of Tenten Neji kept in his closet. Hinata held on to the door's knob, trying to think.

What could anyone say?

She silently but hastily left the two alone, carefully closing Neji's door but not before seeing his pale stricken face staring at some point on the ceiling. She hoped that he wasn't at a loss on what to do or how to react.

She wanted to go back there and hold on to Neji's hand and tell Tenten that she was interpreting the photographs wrongly. But she had nothing to do with this, the same as they had nothing to do with how she wanted her relationship to be with Sasuke. This was between Neji and Tenten, and they had to deal with it themselves. Besides, Neji wouldn't thank her for having witnessed any of it. He would definitely resent it.

_Neji. My poor, poor Neji._

She hastily went down the steps and back into her room, closing the door harshly to repress her urge to help him. She leaned heavily against the back door. She couldn't imagine what Neji must be going through right now. Her indecision with Sasuke seemed to pale in comparison. In all probability, Neji must have lost Tenten for good. She was afraid for her cousin now that he was going to know that Tenten wouldn't be able to reciprocate his deep feelings for her.

What was going to happen now?

She went inside her bathroom to prepare the tub. She needed something to relax her. The day kept changing for the worse and even if it was going to end in four hours, she'd rather waste them where the world wouldn't be able to contact her.

Of course, wasting your time in the bathtub also meant unstoppable internalization.

She remembered her father's phone call and what she had felt; and then to Neji's conversation and what she felt afterwards. She sighed as she played with a scoop of bubbles in her hands. Was her heart even capable of containing all of these?

She heard the faint but insistent buzz of the doorbell as she was about to rinse herself.

_So much for burning the remaining hours away_, she thought. Thinking it was either Neji or Tenten, she finished bathing and grabbed the terrycloth robe hanging on the bathroom door. Running and shivering at the same time, she opened the front door with a forced smile.

The smile turned to a small 'o' when she was faced with the person actually present in front of her apartment. "Sasuke! Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" she asked with wide eyes.

She followed with her eyes where his gaze landed when she opened of the door. Now aware of her state of undress, she unconsciously tightened the lapels of her robe around her neck.

"What? And tell me to go straight home because of the lateness of the night?"

"Would you like something to drink?" she inquired as she turned around, preventing him from seeing her reddened cheeks as well as his lips aimed at her.

"Coward."

"I'm going to make coffee. Go wait in the living room," she ordered, walking off towards the direction of the kitchen.

"I _am _in the living room."

"Snob!" she reprimanded, though she was smiling when she said it.

When she made two cups, she came back to the living room, only to pale when she found out what Sasuke was holding in his hand – her prescription bottle. And he was looking at it with a very curious face. As expected, he asked her about it as soon as she was a few steps away from him.

"I-I-It's for my blood." _Partly. _She took the remaining steps and grabbed the cylindrical bottle. However, Sasuke raised it out of Hinata's reach.

"You're anemic?"

"Y-Yes," she answered as she planted her hand on his shoulder, using it as support when she tiptoed and reached for the bottle.

"This is the first time I've heard of this."

"Sasuke! It doesn't affect me much," she almost wailed, aware that her body was pressing against him and that he was aware of it, too.

"I see. So your being anemic doesn't have anything to do with your occasional fainting spells."

"It does!" she answered, clearly agitated. "Just… give me the pills. Please?" she implored as her hands squeezed his upper arms.

He ignored her plea. Instead, with the bottle still clamped between his fingers, his hands glided down her robe-covered back. "God! You're not wearing anything under this, are you?"

"Of course!" she snapped at his censorious attack. "I was expecting you to arrive so I timed when I was going to take a bath. And I deliberately took a bath without my clothes on," she explained through gritted teeth, her pale lavender eyes flaring in aggravation.

"You with your barbed tongue," he mused aloud. He took advantage of her open mouth by dropping a kiss.

Caught unawares, she pushed him away as she opened her mouth to tell him off. However, pushing him away was like pushing a large rock, even with his slender form. Besides, the languorous warmth was invading her senses as soon as his invading tongue met with hers. Unfortunately, his assault ended sooner than she anticipated, leaving her shamefully unsatisfied.

"But it's a rather sweet tongue so I don't mind."

Her whole head turned a dark shade of red. "You can go home if that's all you came here for."

"We'll talk if that would satisfy your puritan little mind."

"Why you…"

"Go get dressed," he ordered as he softly pushed her away.

"Remove temptation, you mean? Maybe I shouldn't so I can test you if you can keep your promise." Aghast, her hands went to her runaway mouth.

"Go," he ordered, his face unreadable as he sat on her couch.

She complied quickly, not even bothering to lock the bedroom door with the way their conversation went.

_How embarrassing! _

She had the mind to pick out her most unattractive clothes but that would imply how much she was affected with the whole deal. She wore the first pair of clothing she could pull out from the inside of her closet. She had called out his name once she got back to the living room, only to cover her mouth in surprise when she saw him sprawled on her couch, eyes closed in sleep. She sat on the armchair closest to him, releasing a deep sigh.

Her face fell, finally feeling safe enough to drop her guard. The day had taken its heavy toll on her. She didn't even know how Neji and Tenten were doing upstairs. As if on cue with her thoughts, someone tapped on her door. Forcing her unenthusiastic body up while keeping an eye on the sleeping Sasuke for signs of movement, she opened the door.

Piercing light-brown eyes stared straight at her. "Hi."

Hinata stepped outside, closing the door to prevent Tenten from accidentally seeing Sasuke sleeping on her couch. "Hey."

"Can we talk?"

Hinata could hear the nervousness in Tenten's voice. "Sure. Why don't we talk on the porch? The night is pleasant enough."

Tenten nodded her assent, following Hinata with heavy steps.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Tenten asked when they were sitting comfortably on the edge of the wooden porch.

"You're joking!"

Tenten turned away from her, her gaze instead favoring the night sky. "When I first saw the photos, I felt nostalgic remembering the old days. But then I saw they were all me, nothing with Lee.. I thought it was weird, but then I put two and two together. I wasn't sure at first, but when I saw his face, I _knew _then."

"What did you tell him?"

"Nothing. We just… _stood _there."

Hinata winced at her friend's answer. "For an hour?!"

"No! I… went out for a walk… to clear my head. You have to understand. Neji is so…is so intelligent, so worldly, and so attractive! And for so long I've always thought it was you and him, never anyone else, much less me! I mean look at me… I'm nowhere near as attractive as the women who flock around him. I have no panache. Compared to you, I'm nothing."

"Are you fishing for compliments?"

"No!" Tenten declared hotly.

"Then don't talk bull," she rebuked bluntly. Her thought process had been like that, too. And Neji had fought with it as harshly as he could. Hurtful, but effective.

"Sorry."

"There's no need for apologies."

"I think I should—never mind. I'm going back home. I… I have to finish packing. Tell Ne—him I'll stay in a hotel instead of here."

"W-What? What are you talking about? Of course you're staying here," she held on to Tenten's slender arm with an imploring look. "I know you'd rather not complicate matters but you're only going to make matters worse by running away from the problem."

"I'm not running," Tenten denied with her head turned away from her.

"Yes, you are. Tenten, Neji is…Neji is a prideful person yet he regarded and still does regard both you and Lee highly. He'd never do anything to hurt you or step out of line."

She sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just… too early. Too unexpected."

Hinata was surprised at her answer. Was she reading too much in her words? She didn't care if Tenten couldn't love Neji back. She just wanted her cousin to have a chance to repair the damage dealt to their relationship today.

"…And I will stay, just not today."

She was going to continue with her argument when a faint sound from inside reminded her she wasn't exactly in a situation where there was no problem if Tenten stayed the night. She was going to keep quiet about it but Tenten was giving her a look (coupled with a knowing smile) which clearly suggested that she _knew_.

"I won't tell."

"I-It's not what you think," Hinata emphasized with hands waving 'no' in front of her.

Tenten laughed, but then she frowned afterwards. "I don't know how to think properly anymore."

"W-What—"

"Not once was I aware of Neji's feelings."

"Neji's just _really _good at that sort of thing—"

"In the taxi—I wasn't aware Lee was on the verge of dying."

Hinata's breath hitched. The situation was going to turn ugly if she didn't handle this correctly.

"That wasn't your fault."

Turning her face towards the source of the voice who had spoken, she saw Neji leaning on her door, his shoulders hunched, his hands buried in the pockets of his pants, his long, straight hair curtaining his face. Tenten kept on staring straight ahead, but she had stiffened when her cousin spoke.

Hinata dreaded the silence that was about to ensue, but before she could speak a taxi stopped in front of their gate and honked twice.

"I… called for a cab beforehand. I'll see you guys tomorrow," she said as she stood up, though she wasn't looking at either of them when she spoke. "Take care both of you."

The two cousins could only stare at her retreating back and listened as the taxi drove away.

Neji took over Tenten's place, sitting with his back too straight to be considered normally comfortable.

Hinata looked at Neji's strained face. "She said it was too unexpected. Too early."

Neji stiffened at her words. "She didn't tell me that."

"She didn't tell you anything."

Neji's lips compressed to a thin line at her words. "So she didn't."

She immediately regretted her words. She tangled her arms with his, resting her head on his shoulder as she did. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be mean."

"I know," he said as he patted her arm.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Nothing," he said vehemently. "Tenten… Tenten is Lee's," he said with a wistful smile.

She couldn't say anything in response as she herself believed that sentiment. Neji was obviously suffering as he said those words. She hated it when Neji was pretending to be okay. Who was it that said real men don't cry? She'd give him a bashing or two if she ever had the guts to do so.

Her cousin stood up and told her he needed to leave before dawn for tomorrow. She, in turn, stood up and gave him a comforting hug before she went to her room. Inside, Sasuke was still fast asleep. She went to her room and grabbed a blanket for him to keep warm. As she covered him with the blanket, it was only now that she looked at him properly without problems constantly bugging her mind. She was struck again by his pleasing features that the next thing she knew she was holding a sketch pad in one hand and a pencil on the other.

When she opened her eyes the next morning, she was sprawled on the couch (instead of the armchair, she remembered) with the blanket she had thrown over Sasuke last night covering her. When she sat up from the couch, she immediately saw a piece of paper laid on the coffee table. She reached for it and read the short content.

_Next time I see you, I want the sketch finished. _

She stared at the note. She hadn't even gotten to talk to him seriously this time, especially on that newspaper article. She lifted the sketchpad right beside the note and looked at it with wide, despondent eyes.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **This fiction is written for entertainment purposes only, thus, the authoress will not be profiting from this. Naruto and its characters are owned by Masashi Kishomoto.

_Note: If you have queries on the story, please use your FF account or leave your email so I can get back at you. It's against FF policy to reply to reviews in the chapter updates. Lengthy concrit (constructive criticism) **motivates** me to write._

_Whoa, this story actually has plot? Anyway, more emphasis on Neji and Tenten here since their 'airtime' is going to lessen from this point onwards. We've already reached the pinnacle of their story._

_Important note: I have neither explicitly stated nor subtly implied that Hinata is dying. To make it clear: Hinata is __**not **__dying._

_Credits to Shiranui the Brave for the proofreading! To the reviewers I wasn't able to reply to, thank you!_


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